Wyndham Clark of Highlands Ranch jumped from 11th to second place individually in Tuesday’s second round of the Men’s NCAA Division I Regional in Baton Rouge, La.
The Pac-12 Player of the Year shot a 2-under-par 70, giving the University of Oregon senior a 2-under 142 total heading into Wednesday’s final round. The only player ahead of him is Sam Burns from host LSU, who leads by five after rounds of 65-72.
Perhaps not coincidentally, Clark (pictured) and Burns are ranked Nos. 1 and 2 in the nation among men’s college golfers.
Clark — who won the Pac-12 individual title in Boulder on April 30, giving him three wins on the season — started Tuesday with a bogey on his first hole, but made three birdies and 14 pars the rest of the way. All his birdies came on par-5s.
The top five team finishers and the top individual not on those teams will advance to the NCAA Finals, set for May 26-31 in Sugar Grove, Ill. Clark’s Oregon squad is tied for fourth after two rounds.
Meanwhile, the University of Colorado, the only Colorado-based team to qualify for the Men’s DI Regionals, fell into last place in the team standings in the West Lafayette, Ind., Regional. Barring a near-miracle, the Buffs won’t reach their goal of qualifying for the NCAA Finals for the first time since 2002.
CU — whose No. 1 player, Jeremy Paul, turned pro a month ago — stands at 36-over-par 612 for two rounds. It trails leader New Mexico by 42 strokes. More importantly, the Buffs are 33 strokes out of the fifth-place spot, the last one that will advance to Finals. Ethan Freeman and Yannik Paul are leading the way individually for CU, at 9-over-par 153.
And at the Austin, Texas Regional, two former Valor Christian teammates who last week advanced to U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying are tied through two rounds. Jake Staiano of Colorado State and Josh Seiple of Mississippi have matched rounds of 73-74 for 5-over-par 147s, good for 26th place.
Seiple’s Ole Miss squad is in good position to advance to Finals as a team as it’s in third place.
MEN’S NCAA DIV. I REGIONALS
May 15-17, 2017 in West Lafayette, Ind.
13. (out of 13 teams) Colorado 304-308–612
53. Ethan Freeman 77-76–153
53. Yannik Paul 75-78–153
58. Spencer Painton 78-76–154
63. Victor Bjorlow 77-78–155
75. John Souza 75-85–160
May 15-17, 2017 in Baton Rouge, La.
2. Coloradan Wyndham Clark, Oregon 72-70–142
May 15-17, 2017 in Austin Texas
26. Jake Staiano, Colorado State 73-74–147
26. Coloradan Josh Seiple, Mississippi 73-74–147
