Williams helps Arizona State surge to top of the leaderboard in team standings in NCAA Championship at La Costa

 

   With Connor Williams, a sophomore from Escondido, Calif. and No. 43 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), leading the way, Arizona State surged to the top of the team standings following Saturday’s second round of the NCAA Championship at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa’s North Course in Carlsbad, Calif.

   Williams added a 5-under-par 67 over the 7,548-yard, par-72 La Costa North Course layout to his opening round of 4-under 68 to get a share of the top spot in the individual standings with Mississippi’s Michael La Sasso, a junior from Raleigh, N.C. and No. 11 in the WAGR, each sitting at 9-under 135.

   Williams’ heroics helped Big 12 representative Arizona State, No. 5 in the Scoreboard, powered by clippd, rankings, put together an 11-under 277 that gave the Sun Devils a three-shot lead over Oklahoma, No. 6 in the Scoreboard rankings and in its first season in the Southeastern Conference, with a 13-under 563 total. Arizona State had recorded a 2-under 286 in Friday’s opening round.

   Oklahoma had grabbed the team lead with an opening round of 8-under 280. The Sooners added a 2-under 286 that gave them a 10-under 566 total.

   The field of 30 teams will be cut in half following Sunday’s third round. The top eight finishers following Monday’s final round of stroke play will advance to match play, which gets under way Tuesday morning.

   The Golf Channel’s cameras will join the fray for the Memorial Day Monday windup of stroke play when the quarterfinal matchups are set and an individual NCAA champion is crowned.

   Arizona State moved to the Big 12 this season in the aftermath of the demise of the Pac-12. The Sun Devils were the runnerup in the Big 12 Championship at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla. and finished in second place as the top seed in the Bremerton Regional at the Golf Mountain Golf Club’s Olympic Course.

   Defending national champion Auburn, another SEC entry and No. 1 in the Scoreboard rankings, was two shots behind Oklahoma in third place at 8-under 568 as the Tigers added a solid 6-under 282 to their opening round of 2-under 286.

   Auburn was led by Brendan Valdes, a senior from Orlando, Fla. and No. 6 in the WAGR who was tied for third place in the individual standings with Texas A&M’s Phichaksn Maichon, a senior from Thailand and No. 15 in the WAGR, each landing on 5-under 139, four shots behind the co-leaders Williams and La Sasso.

   Valdes added a 2-under 70 in Saturday’s second round to his opening round of 3-under 69.

   Auburn redshirt senior Carson Bacha, the 2019 PIAA Class AAA champion as a senior at Central York and No. 20 in the WAGR, was among the group tied for 62^nd place with a 4-over 148 total. Bacha added a 1-over 73 in Saturday’s second round to his opening-round 75.

   SEC champion Florida, No. 7 in the Scoreboard rankings, was three shots behind Auburn in fourth place with a 5-under 571 total after the Gators added a 2-under 286 in Saturday’s second round after opening with a 3-under 285.

   Florida had held off Arizona State to claim the team crown in the Bremerton Regioinal.

   Florida State, an Atlantic Coast Conference entry and No. 9 in the Scoreboard rankings, was four shots behind its cross-state rival Florida in fifth place at 1-under 575 as the Seminoles added a 2-over 290 in Saturday’s second round to their opening round of 3-under 285.

   Have to keep half an eye on Florida State’s Luke Clanton, a junior from Hiahleah, Fla. and No. 1 in the WAGR, and Auburn’s Jackson Koivun, a sophomore from Chapel Hill, N.C., and No. 2 in the WAGR.

   They have been the two best players in college golf over the last two seasons with both having strong showings in occasional forays on the PGA Tour. Oh yeah, their teams met in the NCAA Championship’s Final Match a year ago at La Costa with Koivun and the Tigers defeating Clanton and the Seminoles.

   Koivun added a 2-under 70 in Saturday’s second round to his opening round of 1-under 71 and was among the group tied for eighth place at 3-under 141. Clanton matched par in Saturday’s second round with a 72 after opening with a 2-under 70 and was in the group tied for 12^th place at 2-under 142.

   Texas, No. 4 in the Scoreboard rankings, joined its old Big 12 rival Oklahoma in fleeing the Big 12 for the SEC for the wraparound 2024-2025 season. The Longhorns were a shot behind Florida State in sixth place at even-par 576 as they added a 3-over 291 in Saturday’s second round to their opening round of 3-under 285.

   Big 12 champion Oklahoma State, No. 2 in the Scoreboard rankings, was two shots behind its old Big 12 rival Texas in seventh place at 2-over 578. The Cowboys bounced back from an opening round of 5-over 293 with a solid 3-under 285 in Saturday’s second round.

   SEC power Mississippi, No. 3 in the Scoreboard rankings, was two shots behind Oklahoma State in eighth place with a 4-over 580 total. The Rebels added a 1-under 287 in Saturday’s second round to their opening round of 5-over 293.

   Ole Miss was led by La Sasso, who matched the splits of Arizona State’s Williams, adding a 5-under 67 in Saturday’s second round to his opening-round 68, to get a share of the individual lead with Williams at 9-under 135.

   Perennial Big Ten power Illinois, No. 12 in the Scoreboard rankings, was three shots behind Ole Miss in ninth place with a 7-over 583 total as the Fightin’ Illini added a 9-over 297 in Saturday’s second round to their opening round of 2-under 286.

   Illinois, the host team in the Urbana Regional at Atkins Golf Club, shared the team crown with Oklahoma State.

   Upstart California, new to the ACC and No. 49 in the Scoreboard rankings, rounded out the top 10 in the team standings at 8-over 584 as the Golden Bears added a 7-over 295 in Saturday’s second round to their opening round of 1-over 289.

   Backing up Williams for Arizona State was Josele Ballester, a senior from Spain and No. 7 in the WAGR, as he was among a large group tied for fifth place at 4-under 140.

   Ballester, winner of last summer’s U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn., signed for a second straight 2-under 70.

   The Sun Devils’ Preston Summerhays, a senior out of the golfing Summerhays family of Scottsdale, Ariz. and No. 14 in the WAGR, and Peer Wernicke, a freshman from Germany and No. 83 in the WAGR, were in the group tied for 25^th place at even-par 144.

   Summerhays and Wernicke had identical splits, each adding a 2-under 70 in Saturday’s second round to an opening round of 2-over 74.

   Rounding out the Arizona State lineup was Michael Mjaaseth, a junior from Norway and No. 40 in the WAGR, as he was in the group tied for 62^nd place at 4-over 148. Mjaaseth bounced back from an opening round of 5-over 77 with a 1-under 71 in Saturday’s second round.

   Texas A&M’s Maichon had grabbed the individual lead with an opening round of 6-under 66. He backed off a little with a 1-over 73 in Saturday’s second round, but still had a share of third place with Auburn’s Valdes at 5-under.