Waynesville, N.C. – Catamount men's golf knocked one stroke off its opening-round score, carding a team total of 281 on a sun-soaked Monday to maintain its hold of sixth-place through the second round of the 2024 JT Poston Invitational, hosted at the par-70, 6,720-yard Waynesville Inn and Golf Club.
 
Sophomore Jace Butcher leads the Catamount scoring five in a tie for 15th overall after posting his second-consecutive round of even-par 70. Playing unattached as an individual, classmate Andrew Korytoski posted WCU's best round on Monday with a 3-under par score of 67.
 
The final 18 holes are scheduled for Tuesday with an adjusted 9 a.m. shotgun start (weather permitting).
 
Opening the day with a birdie, Butcher overcame a double-bogey on the par-3, 275-yard hole No. 2 with a second birdie before making the turn to the back a 1-over par. The Kennesaw, Ga., native recorded two more birdies on the back nine, heading to the final three holes poised for a 1-under par round. However, a bogey on the par-3 17th left him at even.
 
Freshman Chase Cline was three strokes better on Monday, advancing 16 positions into a tie for 20th after posting a 1-under par 69 and a two-round total of 141. The Chapin, S.C., product countered a trio of bogeys on the front nine with four total birdies, playing the back nine at 2-under for his daily total. Tied for the team lead on Sunday, junior Ivan Ninkovic slid four spots into the tie with Cline at 20th, posting a 1-over par round of 71 with three birdies against two bogeys and one double-bogey.
 
Rounding out WCU's scoring five are junior transfer Callum Waugh in a tie for 28th with back-to-back rounds of 1-over par 71 for a 142, with senior Kiefer Bulau slipping into a tie for 37th a stroke in arrears at 143 (71-72).
 
Korytoski leads WCU's four individuals, making the largest gain over the second 18 holes by advancing 34 spots into a tie with Butcher for 15th. The second-year striker from Cataula, Ga., Korytoski posted a 4-under par start to the day on the back nine with a pair of birdies and an eagle on the par-4, 355-yard hole No. 15. He moved to five-under par with a birdie on the par-5 sixth, but consecutive bogeys on No. 7 and 8 left him at 3-under for the day.
 
The final three Catamount individuals include sophomores Michael Bevins and Dalton Payne in a tie for 49th with a score of 146 and Josh Lendach in a tie for 87th at 155. Both Bevins and Payne carded a trio of birdies against five bogeys with Payne rallying for his trio of birdies over his final five holes. Lendach had a pair of birdies, one aside on Monday.
 
First-round individual leader Alejandro Rodriguez of Lipscomb maintains his one-stroke advantage on the field, backing up his opening-round 65 with a 4-under par 66 on Monday for a 36-hole score of 131. James Madison's Vaclav Tichy blitzed the course in the second round with an 8-under par 62 to advance into second place with Claes Borregaard of Kennesaw State matching Monday's 62 to move into third, three strokes in arrears at 134.
 
With two golfers inside the Top Four and its scoring five among the Top 15, the Lipscomb Bison have charged to an 11-stroke lead over runner-up Coastal Carolina which climbed to second place. Lipscomb (543) leads the Chanticleers (554) which has a three-stroke edge over the three-way tie for third-place tie between James Madison, Kennesaw State, and Xavier at 557. WCU is six strokes outside the Top Five with a two-day score of 563.
 
Final round action is scheduled to get underway with a shotgun start on Tuesday beginning at 9 a.m. Live scoring through Leaderboard King is available through a link at CatamountSports.com.
 
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6 – Western Carolina – 282 – 281 = 563 (+3)
T15 – Jace Butcher – 70 – 70 = 140 (E)
T20 – Chase Cline – 72 – 69 = 141 (+1)
T20 – Ivan Ninkovic – 70 – 71 = 141 (+1)
T28 – Callum Waugh – 71 – 71 = 142 (+2)
T37 – Kiefer Bulau – 71 – 72 = 143 (+3)
 
T15 – Andrew Korytoski (ind.) – 73 – 67 = 140 (E)
T49 – Michael Bevins (ind.) – 74 – 72 = 146 (+6)
T49 – Dalton Payne (ind.) – 75 – 71 = 146 (+6)
T87 – Josh Lendach (ind.) – 80 – 75 = 155 (+15)