Newberry Holds 14-Stroke Lead After Two Rounds At 2011 Food Lion SAC Men’s Golf Championship

CONOVER, N.C. - The 19th-ranked Newberry College men's golf team has a 14-stroke lead after the first two rounds of the 2011 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Championships, as the Wolves shot 15-over par through 36 holes at the par 72, 6,944-yard Jones Course at the Rock Barn Golf and Spa on Monday.

The Wolves shot a one-under par 287 in the first 18 holes of the day, marking the best single round score by a Newberry squad at a SAC Championship. While all of the teams' scores shot up in the second 18 holes of the day, Newberry's 304 was also the lowest score of all 10 teams in that round.

Defending tournament champion Lincoln Memorial University is in second. The Railsplitters shot a 300-305=605.

Matthew Killen (Yorkshire, England) led the way for the Wolves Monday, and is tied for second place individually in the tournament. His 70-76=146 (+2) is only one stroke behind leader Clifford Blanquicet of Wingate.

Daniel Stanley (Inman, S.C.) is just one stroke behind Killen in fourth place. He shot a 70-77=147 (+3) Monday. SAC Golfer of the Year Matthew Campbell (Rome, N.Y.) is in a tie for sixth place at 5-over (72-77=149).

Ben Lown (North Augusta, S.C.) and Chandler Gruenemeier (Jacksonville, Fla.) are both in a tie for 12th place, shooting 8-over 152's on Monday.

Newberry's 14-stroke lead is the largest lead by any SAC team after the first day in at least six years (detailed records from previous tournaments are not readily available).

Jamie Chapman shot a 74-74=128 to lead the Railsplitters and is in fifth place. He leads teammate Joshua Cornett by one stroke.

Wingate University is in third place after firing a 304-307=611. Blanquicet (Sanford, N.C.) has the individual lead after the first two rounds. He opened with a two-under par 70. Blanquicet birdied holes eight, nine and 10 to get it to three-under during round one. He dropped one shot on the back to finish the opening round two-under. Blanquicet shot 75 in the second round, making birdies on two of the last three holes. He stands at one-over for the tournament, one shot ahead of Catawba's Brad Cline and Newberry's Killen.

Catawba College is two strokes back at 301-312=613.

Tusculum posted rounds of 303 and 311 and is in fifth place. Tusculum sophomore Nick York is tied for eighth place at 75-76=151. The 2011 All-SAC Second Team honoree got off to a slow start shooting four-over par 40 in his opening nine holes. But he bounced back shooting three over par for the next 27 holes, that included five birdie, including four in the second round.

Campbell and Joshua Cornett (LMU) are tied for sixth place at 149, while York, Liam Ashby (Carson-Newman and Elliot Blake (Catawba) and Cory Talley (LMU) are in a four-way tie for eighth.

The final 18 holes will be played on Tuesday with the winner earning an automatic berth to next month's NCAA Division II Tournament.

2011 Food Lion SAC Championships
through two rounds

Place Institution Score To Par
1. Newberry 287 - 304 = 591 +15
2. Lincoln Memorial 300 - 305 = 605 +29
3. Wingate 304 - 307 = 611 +35
4. Catawba 301 - 312 = 613 +37
5. Tusculum 303 - 311 = 614 +38
6. Carson-Newman 310 - 313 = 623 +47
7. Lenoir-Rhyne 314 - 310 = 624 +48
8. Anderson 312 - 323 = 635 +59
9. Brevard 309 - 342 = 651 +75
10. Mars Hill 331 - 338 = 669 +93

1. Clifford Blanquicet Wingate University 70 75 145
T2 Brad Cline Catawba College 73 73 146
T2 Matthew Killen Newberry College 70 76 146
4 Daniel Stanley Newberry College 70 77 147
5 Jamie Chapman Lincoln Memorial 74 74 148
T6 Matthew Campbell Newberry College 72 77 149
T6 Joshua Cornett Lincoln Memorial 73 76 149
T8 Liam Ashby Carson-Newman 78 73 151
T8 Elliot Blake Catawba College 74 77 151
T8 Cory Bartlett Lincoln Memorial 74 77 151
T8 Nick York Tusculum College 75 76 151
T12 Chandler Gruenmeier Newberry College 75 77 152
T12 Gavin Hay Carson-Newman 76 76 152
T12 TJ Hoard Brevard College 74 78 152
T12 Ben Lown Newberry College 78 74 152
T16 Derek Cantrell Tusculum College 79 74 153
T16 Lawson George Tusculum College 77 76 153
T18 Garett Heffner Wingate University 80 75 155
T18 Sam Pressley Lenoir-Rhyne 76 79 155
T20 Luke Butler Lincoln Memorial 78 78 156
T20 David Crawford Wingate University 79 77 156
T20 John White Lenoir-Rhyne 84 72 156
T23 Eric Kennedy Lincoln Memorial 79 78 157
T23 Evan Kilchenstein Catawba College 76 81 157
T23 Jonathan Kim-Moss Carson-Newman 78 79 157
T23 Brandon Squier Lenoir-Rhyne 76 81 157
27 John Moore Anderson 79 79 158
T28 Brian Denton Wingate University 79 80 159
T28 Chase Epting Anderson 79 80 159
T28 Kyle Kegerreis Catawba College 78 81 159
T28 Chad Skinner Mars Hill 79 80 159
T32 Mike Dane Lenoir-Rhyne 78 82 160
T32 Chase Lippard Mars Hill 79 81 160
T34 Jonathan Poole Brevard College 77 84 161
T34 Arran Setro Anderson 77 84 161
T34 David Talley Tusculum College 73 88 161
T37 Corey Talley Lincoln Memorial 81 82 163
T37 Alex Coughlin Carson-Newman 78 85 163
T37 Luke Fullen Tusculum College 78 85 163
T37 Rob Golden Lenoir-Rhyne 85 78 163
T37 Kyle Leonard Wingate University 76 87 163
T42 Austin Carney Anderson 87 80 167
T42 Tom Rennie Brevard College 82 85 167
T42 Sean Shelton Anderson 77 90 167
45 John Minor, Jr. Carson-Newman 81 87 168
T46 Lucas Kruk Mars Hill 87 83 170
T46 Mike Opsitnick Catawba College 80 90 170
48 Michael Stamper Brevard College 76 95 171
49 Will Ferrell Mars Hill 86 96 182
50 Seth Sayler Mars Hill 89 94 183