Troy University Athletics
Photo by: Kevin Glackmeyer
Troy’s Zach Portemont Takes Second Round Lead at Seminole Intercollegiate
3/12/2011 4:35:25 PM | Golf (M)
ROUND TWO SCORES | LIVE SCORING
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Despite finishing his second round of play with consecutive bogeys on the final three holes on Saturday, Troy University senior Zach Portemont will enter Sunday's final round at the Seminole Intercollegiate with a one shot lead.
Portemont, a native of Andalusia, finished Saturday's round at the Southwood Golf Course with a two-under par 69, matching his score from the first round. He'll got into play on Sunday with a one-shot lead over Brookes Koepka of Florida State and Sebastian Cappelen of Arkansas.
“I had a couple of three putts and then pushed my tee shot on the last hole,” Portemont said. “I didn't do anything special early in the round, I was just able to get some putts to fall.”
Portemont opened his second round with birdies on each of the first three holes. He added birdies on holes 10 and 15 to get to five-under par on his round before the bogey-bogey-bogey finish.
“Zach is mad at himself for the way he finished, but he is playing really well,” Trojans head coach Matt Terry said. “I think the way he finished will really motivate him to come out and play well again tomorrow.”
Despite Portemont's play, the Trojans slipped one spot in the team standings from sixth to seventh overall with a three-over par round of 287. As a team, the Trojans were eight-over par over the final three holes on Saturday, which cost them two spots in the team standings.
“Everyone struggled coming home, but we still have a chance to have a top five finish in this tournament, and there are a lot of good teams here,” Terry said. “We had a chance to play with North Texas today and I think our guys realize that they can play with them.”
Arkansas leads the tournament with a four-under par team score of 564. Florida State is three shots back with Kennesaw State (+3) and North Texas (+4) still in contention. Mississippi State (+10) and Houston (+11) are just in front of Troy.
In Sunday's final round, the Trojans will be in the first groups off the first tee to open play. Troy will play the final round with North Carolina and James Madison.
“I think it will be good for us to go off first because then there is no way for us to know what is going on behind us,” Terry said. “Hopefully, all of our guys will go out and play relaxed tomorrow and then we'll sit back and see what happens.”
In addition to Portemont, senior Chase Whitehead (Eufaula, Ala.) posted a second round score of 69. Whitehead enters the final round of play tied for 33rd in the tournament.
Senior Reid Merritt (Slocomb, Ala.) is tied for 44th with a two-round score of seven-over par 149. Junior Ricky Casko (Cartersville, Ga.) is tied for 56th at nine-over par and freshman Nathan Kinch (Sydney, Australia) is tied for 84th at 14-over par.
The Trojans will begin play in the final round on Sunday morning at 7:30 a.m.
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