CARLSBAD, Calif. – Freshman Supapon Amornchaichan fired a 3-under par 69 and the Purdue men's golf team moved up four spots in the second round of the NCAA Championships.
The Boilermakers shaved 13 shots off their first-round score and sit in a tie for 26th at 25-over par (307-294=601). Purdue is just six shots behind South Carolina in 20th place and is 13 shots off the 15-team cutline to advance to Monday's fourth round.
Purdue's six-over par 294 tied for the second-lowest score of the afternoon wave behind Wake Forest's 4-over par 292, and was the 13th-lowest round of the day, despite playing in tougher conditions during the afternoon as the wind picked up over the North Course of the Omni La Costa Resort and Spa.
The Boilermakers started hot on the its initial nine – the front nine. After making just six total birdies between the five players in the round one, Purdue had six birdies through its first four holes in round two. Purdue was 2-under par through six holes, but then started to leak some oil midway through the round.
From holes seven to 14, Purdue was 13-over par on its counting team to drop to 30-over par. However, the Boilermakers played the last four holes in 5-under par to move the up the leaderboard and give themselves a chance in Sunday's third round. The key moment was hole No. 11, a 355-yard, par-4 that played into the wind during the afternoon. Purdue played the hole in a combined 7-over par after playing the hole in 2-over par on Friday.
South Carolina is 20th at 19-over par and is followed by Georgia (+21), UCLA (+22), UNLV (+23) and Troy and Tennessee (+24). USF and New Mexico is tied for 27th at 26-over par.
Leading Purdue's surge was freshman Supapon Amornchaichan, who surged 35 spots up the leaderboard into a 12th-place tie at 2-under par 142 (73-69). Amornchaichan's score of 3-under par was the second-best score in relation to par by a Boilermaker in the NCAA Championships during the last 20 years (2021 – Cole Bradley; 4-under 66 in first round).
Amornchaichan is second in the field among freshmen (Oklahoma's Clark Van Gaaren; -4) and with a solid round on Sunday, would advance to Monday's fourth round. The top-9 finishers outside the top-15 teams that qualify will advance to Monday.
Meanwhile, Jenson Forrester bounced back from a tough opening round to shoot 1-under par 71 and move up 34 spots into T-121st. Forrester is at 11-over par 153 (82-71).
Sam Easterbrook is tied for 133rd at 13-over par 155 (80-75), after a bounceback second round. Easterbrook now has 33 rounds of 75 or better this year, good for fourth in school history.
Nels Surtani is tied for 101st at 8-over par 152 (73-79), while Kent Hsiao is tied for 136th at 14-over par 158 (79-79).
Purdue will tee off the third round at 4:07 to 4:51 p.m. ET on Sunday, off hole No. 10. The Boilermakers will be paired with Tennessee and South Florida.
The Boilermakers shaved 13 shots off their first-round score and sit in a tie for 26th at 25-over par (307-294=601). Purdue is just six shots behind South Carolina in 20th place and is 13 shots off the 15-team cutline to advance to Monday's fourth round.
Purdue's six-over par 294 tied for the second-lowest score of the afternoon wave behind Wake Forest's 4-over par 292, and was the 13th-lowest round of the day, despite playing in tougher conditions during the afternoon as the wind picked up over the North Course of the Omni La Costa Resort and Spa.
The Boilermakers started hot on the its initial nine – the front nine. After making just six total birdies between the five players in the round one, Purdue had six birdies through its first four holes in round two. Purdue was 2-under par through six holes, but then started to leak some oil midway through the round.
From holes seven to 14, Purdue was 13-over par on its counting team to drop to 30-over par. However, the Boilermakers played the last four holes in 5-under par to move the up the leaderboard and give themselves a chance in Sunday's third round. The key moment was hole No. 11, a 355-yard, par-4 that played into the wind during the afternoon. Purdue played the hole in a combined 7-over par after playing the hole in 2-over par on Friday.
South Carolina is 20th at 19-over par and is followed by Georgia (+21), UCLA (+22), UNLV (+23) and Troy and Tennessee (+24). USF and New Mexico is tied for 27th at 26-over par.
Leading Purdue's surge was freshman Supapon Amornchaichan, who surged 35 spots up the leaderboard into a 12th-place tie at 2-under par 142 (73-69). Amornchaichan's score of 3-under par was the second-best score in relation to par by a Boilermaker in the NCAA Championships during the last 20 years (2021 – Cole Bradley; 4-under 66 in first round).
Amornchaichan is second in the field among freshmen (Oklahoma's Clark Van Gaaren; -4) and with a solid round on Sunday, would advance to Monday's fourth round. The top-9 finishers outside the top-15 teams that qualify will advance to Monday.
Meanwhile, Jenson Forrester bounced back from a tough opening round to shoot 1-under par 71 and move up 34 spots into T-121st. Forrester is at 11-over par 153 (82-71).
Sam Easterbrook is tied for 133rd at 13-over par 155 (80-75), after a bounceback second round. Easterbrook now has 33 rounds of 75 or better this year, good for fourth in school history.
Nels Surtani is tied for 101st at 8-over par 152 (73-79), while Kent Hsiao is tied for 136th at 14-over par 158 (79-79).
Purdue will tee off the third round at 4:07 to 4:51 p.m. ET on Sunday, off hole No. 10. The Boilermakers will be paired with Tennessee and South Florida.