(Story courtesy of Trinity University Athletics)
WHEELING, W.Va. - Trinity University Men's Golf climbed the leaderboard of the 2021 NCAA III National Championship Wednesday with a 291 (+11) round score to slide just above the 18-team cutoff line in a tie at 16th with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY) at a 604 two-round total.
The Tigers shifted to the Arnold Palmer Course of the Oglebay Resort Wednesday, which proved to be a difference-maker throughout the field. Trinity was one of eight teams to rise at least five spots in the standings playing the course, and one of two to move from the outside into the top-18.
Trinity Men's Golf joins the remainder of the field in the shift back to the Robert Trent Jones Course Thursday, the layout that will be used for the final two rounds to determine the 2021 National Champion. The Tigers are slated for a 10:20 am ET tee-time.
The Rundown
On top of setting the tone for Trinity again on Wednesday with a 71 (+1), sophomore Zac Bunder became the fourth player in this year's tournament to collect an eagle, the third to do so on the Palmer Course and the only on the par-four 4th which led to his two-under performance before the turn.
Bunder shot up 28 spots on the individual chart with his one-over mark Wednesday as the sophomore sits at six-over for the first two rounds in a tie at the 20th spot in the field.
Senior Bryce Pidgeon and sophomore Daniel Nunez made drastic improvements on Wednesday as both Tigers improved by 10 strokes to 73 (+3) each.
Pidgeon notched three birdies, all on par-fives between the second, eighth and 11th holes. He also sits in a multi-way tie at sixth in the field with a two-under pace on par-fives.
Nunez also birdied the second and closed with his crucial second birdie on the par-four 18th as the cutoff-line battle drew close.
Junior DJ Springer submitted the fourth score for Trinity with a consistent pace at 74 (+4) as he checked in at two-over on both sides of the links. Springer was the third Tiger to birdie the second hole, joined Bunder with a birdie on eight and also collected a bird on the 14th.
Springer moved up 17 spots on the player chart in a tie at 48th overall with a 10-over pace through two days.
Sophomore Holden Wisener rounded out the Tigers with a 76 (+6) after a slow start before the turn. Wisener checked in at six-over before the ninth but birdied the 10th, 11th and 14th on his way to an even performance on the back nine.
The third Tiger sophomore on the trip is also in the logjam tie at two-under on par-fives with Pidgeon.
Coach Speak
"A great rally by the group today to make the cut and keep us in it," Head Coach Sean Etheredge expressed. "Tomorrow is moving day; we're looking forward to heading back to the Jones Course and climbing back up the leaderboard."
Day Three
Trinity Men's Golf advanced to the final two rounds of the 2021 NCAA III National Championship with its performance on Wednesday. Thursday's third round for the Tigers tees off at 10:20 am local time.
