TEXARKANA, Ark. — WKU Hilltopper Golf is in second place after two rounds at the 2019 Air Force Reserve Conference USA Men's Golf Championship, putting itself in position to reach the match play stage Tuesday.
The third-seeded Hilltoppers fired a two-round total of 579 (287-292) on Monday at the par-72, 6,935-yard Texarkana Country Club.
The opening-round 287 was the program's lowest single-round score in a conference tournament since 2008.
WKU led the field after that start, but finished the day four strokes behind No. 2 seed UTSA at 575. The Hilltoppers are one shot ahead of top-seeded UAB in third and two strokes ahead of Middle Tennessee in fourth.
The final round of stroke play will begin Tuesday morning.
The top four teams then head into match play to determine the champion and automatic NCAA qualifier. The schedule for match play is to be determined with inclement weather expected in the area this week.
Tuesday's final round of stroke play will determine the C-USA individual champion, with WKU redshirt senior Billy Tom Sargent in the hunt.
Sargent finished the day tied for fourth with a 2-under 142 (68-74) mark. His 4-under 68 in the opening round was the lowest conference tournament score by a Hilltopper since Justin Perry's third-round 65 in the 2008 Sun Belt Conference Tournament.
Rice's Jake Benson is the individual leader heading into the final round at 138.
Junior Tom Bevington is tied for 12th at 144 (71-73). Bevington's second round included three eagles.
Of the seven eagles recorded during the first two rounds, WKU had four of them. Sargent also notched one in his first round.
Senior Stuart Easton is tied for 17th at 146 (70-76), while redshirt junior Linus Lo is tied for 41st at 151 (82-69).
Lo rallied in terrific fashion in Monday's second round. After going 11 over on the back nine of his first round to finish with an 82, he rebounded with a 3-under 69 over the next 18 holes – one of just a handful of scores in the 60s all day.
Redshirt freshman Dawson McDaniel ended the day with a 159 tally (78-81), although his first-round score contributed to WKU's strong start.
2019 Conference USA Championship First Day Results
T4. Billy Tom Sargent (68-74-142)
T12. Tom Bevington (71-73-144)
T17. Stuart Easton (70-76-146)
T41. Linus Lo (82-69-151)
T60. Dawson McDaniel (78-81-159)
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