🏌️♂️ Jayhawks Out in Front After 2 Rounds in Florida
VERO BEACH, Fla. – Callum Bruce and Harry Hillier shot matching 66s in the second round of the Quail Valley Collegiate Invitational on Sunday afternoon to lead the Kansas Men’s Golf Team to a hot start at the 16-team tournament.
The Jayhawks are -28 through two rounds of the tournament and have a nine-shot lead on second-place Toledo. In addition, Bruce and Hillier are both tied for first at -10 through two rounds on the player leaderboard. They are locked with Toledo’s Barend Botha and South Florida’s Luke Gifford in a four-way tie for first.
Coach Jamie Bermel’s team has won each of its last two stroke play tournaments and now are just 18 holes away from a third-straight tournament championship. The team shot 17-under (271) in the second round after going 11-under in the opening round.
“The team got after it today in the second round,” Bermel said. “It was a total team effort, and I couldn’t be more proud of the guys. Obviously when we have two guys shoot 66s that helps the team score.”
Both Bruce and Hillier shot 68s in the morning round, before following it up with 66s in the second round to get to -10. Hillier had an eye-popping four eagles over his two rounds. In the opening round, be eagled the par-five third and added four birdies and two bogeys to his card for a four-under 68. In the second round, Hillier started red hot and had three eagles in a five-hole span. He eagled the par-four sixth, the par-five seventh and the par-five 10th. The senior had a 31 on his front nine.
Bruce had six birdies and two bogeys on his card in the first round. He shot 34-34 on his card. In the second round, Bruce had seven birdies, including a bogey-free 32 on his front nine, where he picked up birdies on Nos. 2, 3, 5 and 6. He had three birdies and a bogey on the back for a 34.
In addition to Hillier and Bruce, the Jayhawks have two others in the Top 20 in Ben Sigel and Davis Cooper. Both Sigel and Cooper are three-under for the tournament and tied for 18th. Luke Kluver is -1 for the tournament and tied for 35th. Kluver had three late birdies late in his second round to shoot an even par 72 and has been at even or better in all 11 of his rounds this year.
Sigel posted a bogey-free 70 in the opening round to get to two-under after the first round. He birdied holes six and 14. In the second round, Sigel had four birdies to three bogeys for a one-under 71. Cooper rebounded from a one-over 72 in the first round with a four-under 68 in the second round to get to -3 for the tournament. He had six birdies on his card in the second round.
The Jayhawks will tee off Monday morning for the final round, looking for yet another tournament title this fall.
“It’s a big day tomorrow for the Jayhawks,” Bermel said. “We have to come out ready to play and continue to stay aggressive. The only thing we can control is our golf ball. If we do that, we should be just fine.”
