Burlington, N.C. – Spurred by two golfers inside the individual top five, Western Carolina men's golf leads the 16-team field at the Elon Phoenix Invitational after 36 holes at the par-71, 6,871-yard Alamance Country Club. The Catamounts carded a two-round score of 549 to carry a slim, one-stroke lead over event host Elon into Tuesday's final 18 holes.

The Catamounts fired a second-round score of 272, the second-lowest team 18-hole score in program history, just one off the all-time record of 271 shot in the first round of the EKU Intercollegiate back in the Fall 2021.
 
Both fifth-year senior Magnus Pedersen and senior Pablo Hernandez carded Monday's two rounds in the 60s to lead the Catamount scoring five. Pedersen fired rounds of 4-under par 67 and 5-under par 68 for a total of 135 in a tie for second just two strokes off the pace, while Hernandez went 2-under 69 and 4-under 67, respectively to sit in a tie for fifth overall.
 
Opening off the front nine, Pedersen posted a trio of birdies against a bogey to make the turn to the back at 2-under par. He finished his opening round with two additional birdies along with seven more pars to shoot 4-under 67. In the second round, the Moss, Norway, native answered a bogey on the par-3 fourth with four combined birdies to make the turn for home at 3-under par. Pedersen moved to 4-under for the second round with four holes to play but came home at 3-under overall after a birdie and two bogeys.
 
Hernandez had a hot start to his day, moving to 4-under par through 13 holes with five birdies and one bogey. He closed the first round with three bogeys and one birdie over the final five holes to shoot 2-under par 69. The product of Madrid, Spain, carded six birdies in the second round including three consecutive between the 15th and 17th before a bogey on his 36th hole of the day left him at 67 and a two-round total of 136.
 
Hernandez carded a team-best 12 birdies through Monday's 36 holes, third in the tournament field while Pedersen was just behind with 11 combined birdies.
 
Freshman Jace Butcher and sophomore transfer Ivan Ninkovic are amidst a five-way tie for 14th with an opening-day score of 3-under par 139. Butcher carded his second seasonal round in the 60s with a career-low 67 over the second 18 holes to jump 21 positions. The Kennesaw, Ga., product posted eight birdies and two eagles on the par-5, 513-yard 17th, following a 2-over par round of 72 with the 67 over the second 18 holes. Ninkovic opened with a 2-under par 69 aided by a pair of eagles on the par-5, 542-yard sixth and the 17th. He finished the day with a 1-under 70, overcoming two bogeys and one double-bogey with five birdies.
 
Rounding out WCU's scoring five is freshman Andrew Korytoski in a tie for 57th overall with a two-round score of 4-over par 146. Korytoski followed up his first-round 75 with a career-low tying, even-par 71 to complete his day. The Cataula, Ga., played the first seven holes of his final round even with seven pars. He then countered three bogeys on the back nine with a birdie on the par-4 11th and an eagle on the par-5 12th to finish at 71.
 
Butcher and Ninkovic both carded a pair of eagles in Monday's 36 holes with Korytoski adding WCU's tournament-leading fifth eagle. The Catamounts also pace the field with 42 combined birdies. Ninkovic also leads the tournament in par 5 scoring at 7-under (3.83).
 
Playing unattached as individuals, redshirt sophomore Josh Lendach rallied nine spots in the second round into a tie for 64th overall at 147 thanks to an even-par second-round 71, while true freshman Michael Bevins is tied for 73rd with a score of 150 in just his second career event. Lendach carded three birdies in both rounds for six total and Bevins had three birdies, two over the opening 18 holes.
 
WCU posted an opening-day, two-round score of 549 to lead Elon by a stroke at 550. Tied for the team lead after 18 holes, Presbyterian slid into third at 555, just ahead of first-round co-leader George Washington at 559. Rounding out the top five is Francis Marion, 13 strokes off the pace at 562.
 
In the final grouping with Elon and Presbyterian, the Catamounts tee off on the front nine beginning at 9:20 a.m. WCU's two individuals tee off on the back nine at 8:08 a.m. and 8:16 a.m. Live scoring through GolfStat is available through a link at CatamountSports.com.
 
Keep track of everything related to Catamount women's golf and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports), Instagram (@wcu_catamounts), and Twitter (@catamounts, @CatamountWGolf).
 
1 – Western Carolina – 277 – 272 = 549 (-19)
T2 – Magnus Pedersen – 67-68 = 135 (-7)
T5 – Pablo Hernandez – 69-67 = 135 (-6)
T14 – Jace Butcher – 72-67 = 139 (-3)
T14 – Ivan Ninkovic – 69-70 = 139 (-3)
T57 – Andrew Korytoski – 75-71 = 146 (+4)
T64 – Josh Lendach (ind.) – 76-71 = 147 (+5)
T73 – Michael Bevins (ind.) – 73-77 = 150 (+8)