LIHUE, Hawai'i – The 18th-ranked Texas A&M men's golf team sits in second place Wednesday night after carding its best round of the season on Wailua Golf Course to begin play at the John A. Burns Intercollegiate.
Four Aggies shot under par to keep the team within striking distance of tournament leader Virginia, which holds an eight-stroke advantage over A&M. Texas A&M owns a four-stroke lead over UNLV, who is in third place among the 18-team field. The 12-under round topped A&M's previous season-best round of 9-under set during the opening round at the Turning Stone Invitational in September.
"I am really pleased with the way we played today," Texas A&M head coach J.T. Higgins said. "We looked professional. We were poised and composed and had a great attitude the whole round. We committed to our game plan and executed it really well."
Sophomore Chandler Phillips sits in a share of fourth place individually after an opening round 67. The sophomore is gunning for is his fifth top-10 finish in six events this season. Phillips is five shots behind Jimmy Stranger, the tournament-topper from Virginia.
Junior Kavan Eubank (69, -3) eagled his 13th hole to help end the day in eighth place, a position he shares with sophomore Brandon Smith (69, -3) who fired his best collegiate round. Dan Erickson (71, -1), making his second start of the season, shot a one-under to leave the freshman in a tie for 14th. Rounding out the A&M lineup, junior Andrew Paysse (74, +2) had an up-and-down round that saw him finish in a share of 51st.
Competing as individuals, Jake Goodman (72, E) holds a share of 22nd place carding his best round in the last two seasons. Josh Gliege (75, +3) and Max Miller (76, +4), meanwhile, occupy shares of 62nd and 69th place after Wednesday's action.
"It wasn't flawless but it was really solid golf," added Higgins. "I think they are in a great frame of mind and in excellent shape for the rest of the week. 12-under as team is fantastic and I can't say much more about it. We're looking forward to getting back out there tomorrow."
The team hits the course at 12:30 p.m. (CT) for the second round on Thursday. They are paired with leaders Virginia along with BYU and UNLV. Live scoring for the final two rounds will be available at GolfStat.com. Stay tuned to 12thMan.com or follow the Aggies on Twitter (@AggieMensGolf).
Four Aggies shot under par to keep the team within striking distance of tournament leader Virginia, which holds an eight-stroke advantage over A&M. Texas A&M owns a four-stroke lead over UNLV, who is in third place among the 18-team field. The 12-under round topped A&M's previous season-best round of 9-under set during the opening round at the Turning Stone Invitational in September.
"I am really pleased with the way we played today," Texas A&M head coach J.T. Higgins said. "We looked professional. We were poised and composed and had a great attitude the whole round. We committed to our game plan and executed it really well."
Sophomore Chandler Phillips sits in a share of fourth place individually after an opening round 67. The sophomore is gunning for is his fifth top-10 finish in six events this season. Phillips is five shots behind Jimmy Stranger, the tournament-topper from Virginia.
Junior Kavan Eubank (69, -3) eagled his 13th hole to help end the day in eighth place, a position he shares with sophomore Brandon Smith (69, -3) who fired his best collegiate round. Dan Erickson (71, -1), making his second start of the season, shot a one-under to leave the freshman in a tie for 14th. Rounding out the A&M lineup, junior Andrew Paysse (74, +2) had an up-and-down round that saw him finish in a share of 51st.
Competing as individuals, Jake Goodman (72, E) holds a share of 22nd place carding his best round in the last two seasons. Josh Gliege (75, +3) and Max Miller (76, +4), meanwhile, occupy shares of 62nd and 69th place after Wednesday's action.
"It wasn't flawless but it was really solid golf," added Higgins. "I think they are in a great frame of mind and in excellent shape for the rest of the week. 12-under as team is fantastic and I can't say much more about it. We're looking forward to getting back out there tomorrow."
The team hits the course at 12:30 p.m. (CT) for the second round on Thursday. They are paired with leaders Virginia along with BYU and UNLV. Live scoring for the final two rounds will be available at GolfStat.com. Stay tuned to 12thMan.com or follow the Aggies on Twitter (@AggieMensGolf).