By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
COLLEGE GROVE, Tenn. – After posting the fourth lowest score of the day, the Tennessee Tech men's golf team saw some upward movement in its favor Monday afternoon as the Golden Eagles completed the second day of play of The Grove Intercollegiate by firing a 302.
Hosted by Middle Tennessee at The Grove Club, the tournament saw an increase in scores for every team in the field, but the Tech squad proved the be the most consistent of the bunch. The Golden Eagles finished the second round just four strokes higher than Sunday's 298, jumping from a tie for ninth place to a tie for seventh and within 10 strokes of the top three.
Senior Mason Griffin kept his hot play in action, collecting a steady 74 to move his way up the rankings into a tie for fourth overall in the 69-player field. Through two rounds he sported a 145 thanks to an impressive first-day 71.
Leading Tech in scoring on day two was junior Mitch Thomas, who rebounded from a 77 in the first round of action to card a 73 over the second 18 of the tournament. His overall score of 150 placed him in a tie for 28th with one more round to go.
Arguably the most consistent player on the team, senior Lee Whitehead kept his consistency going on Monday with a 77. The wiley veteran wrapped up the first day of action with a 76 and, coupled with his second round total, finished his first 36 holes with a 153.
True freshman Alexander Riddle finished three strokes back of Whitehead through the first two days, totaling 156 after an 82 on Monday. Sophomore Bryce Kendrick, who saw his first-round score disqualified after an inadvertent scorecard error, wrapped up the Golden Eagles' day with a 78.
"Our guys really hung in there on a day where scores moved saw an uptick," head coach Polk Brown said. "I was happy to see them keep some steady scoring out there and I think there is still plenty of room for movement up the leaderboard as we head into the third and final round tomorrow."
Tech will conclude play at The Grove Intercollegiate Tuesday morning, beginning with a 9 a.m. CT start.
