HOLLYWOOD, S.C. – Nathan Stamey was red-hot on the front nine to stay in contention for the Southern Conference title and help UNCG to a third-place standing after two rounds at the 2006 Southern Conference Men’s Golf Championship at The Links at Stono Ferry Golf Club.
Fourteen golfers are within five shots of the lead, including eight within three strokes, when play resumes on Tuesday morning. Western Carolina’s Matt Cook leads the field after shooting even-par on Monday, making him the only golfer below par through two rounds. He sits at 142, two shots ahead of Stamey, Georgia Southern’s Drew Bowen, College of Charleston’s Scott Larkin, Chattanooga’s Gordon Strother and Elon’s Louis Rittberger. Bowen had the best round of the day, shooting 68 to come back from his starting position of 26th place.
Stamey, a sophomore from Canton, NC, bogied the first two holes to start the day, then reeled off four straight birdies. He then birdied No. 9 to finish the front side three-under. He shot two-over on the back nine, to shoot 71 on the day and sit just two shots off the pace. The last time a Spartan won an individual conference title was 1996 when Michael Way won the Big South Conference championship.
Teammate Burton Wood, a freshman from Siler City, NC, is tied for ninth after also having a hot front nine. Wood shot 32 on the front side, carding birdies on five of the last six holes after a bogie at No. 3. But a triple-bogie 7 on the par 4 18th gave him 42 on the back to close the round at 74 and drop him to five shots off the lead.
Georgia Southern leads the team standings at 581. The Eagles have three golfers in the Top 7 individually. College of Charleston is second at 584, followed by UNCG at 588 and Chattanooga at 589.
Play resumes Tuesday at 8 am. UNCG begins its tee-times at 9 am off of No. 1, concluding with Stamey in the final threesome at 9:40 am.
AGATE
TEAM SCORING: Georgia Southern 581, College of Charleston 584, UNCG 588, Chattanooga 589, Elon 592, Davidson 602, Furman 604, Wofford 604, Western Carolina 607, Appalachian State 619.
TOP 10: 1. Matt Cook (Western Carolina) 70-72=142; T-2. Nathan Stamey (UNCG) 73-71=144; T-2. Drew Bowen (Georgia Southern) 76-68=144; T-2. Scott Larkin (College of Charleston) 69-75=144; T-2. Louis Rittberger (Elon) 75-69=144; T-2. Gordon Strother (Chattanooga) 71-73=144; T-7. Bryan Jones (Georgia Southern) 74-71=145; T-7. Ryan LeFerve (Georgia Southern) 69-76=145; T-9. Tucker Ervin (College of Charleston) 75-72=147; T-9. Jonathan Hodge (Chattanooga) 72-75=147; T-9. Lance Johnson (Elon) 74-73=147; T-9. Bryce Ledford (Chattanooga) 69-78=147; T-9. Gari Maton (College of Charleston) 70-77=147; T-9. Burton Wood (UNCG) 73-74=147.
OTHER UNCG GOLFERS: T-18. Jake Lowder 73-76=149; T-34. Kent Copeland 80-75=145; T-39. J.D. Bass 73-83=146.
- UNCG -