Michigan
NCAA Championships
Mueller Cards 73 in Second Round of NCAA Championships
5/26/2018 9:56:00 PM | Men's Golf
» After returning to the course early to finish his first round Michigan's Kyle Mueller opened with a 79 and followed with a 73 (+1) in the second round to give him a 132 36-hole total at the NCAA Championships.
» Mueller posted a pair of eagles on the par-5, 570-yard 14th hole. In the first round, he made the green in two and dropped in a 50-foot putt, while in the second round he was just off the green on his second shot then chipped in.
» Mueller is making is fourth straight NCAA postseason appearance and second as an individual at the NCAA Championships.
Site: Stillwater, Okla.
Tournament: NCAA Championships (Day 2 of 4)
Course: Karsten Creek Golf Course (par 72, 7,460 yards)
U-M Team Standing: No team score
Top U-M Individual: Kyle Mueller, tie-120th (79-73/152)
U-M Next Round: Sunday, May 27 -- at NCAA Championships (Stillwater, Okla.), 2:12 p[.m. CDT
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STILLWATER, Okla. -- With an early return to the Karsten Creek Golf Course to finish his first round, University of Michigan men's golf senior Kyle Mueller then played his second round, carding rounds of 79 and 73 Saturday (May 26) to sit tied for 120th after 36 holes of the NCAA Championships.
Returning to his second NCAA Finals, Mueller sat through two lightning delays in Friday's (May 25) opening round and was able to get through nine holes before play was called due to darkness.
Starting three-over par as he returned to the course, his opening drive found the rough and ended up being an unplayable lie. Forced to punch out and three-putting, Mueller posted a quadruple bogey. A missed putt on the 12th elevated him to eight-over par before the first of two eagles on the par-5, 570-yard 14th hole cut it by two -- thanks to draining a 50-foot putt. Finding another hazard off the tee on the 16th, that bogey was erased by a round closing birdie on the 18th.
"It was definitely a grind out there today," said Mueller. "Normally, we are used to these days, but when its 95 degrees out it gets pretty exhausting. You just have to stay in it both physically and mentally. As far as tomorrow, I just want to put up a solid round, anything under par would be nice."
In the second round, bogeys on Nos. 11 and 13 were reduced with a birdie on the 12th. Chipping in from just off the green on the 14th, Mueller eagled the hole for the second time on the day as he went under par for the first time in the championships. But a bogey on the 16th drew him even as he made the turn.
Trouble off the tee on the front-side first hole pushed him to two-over with a double bogey. With five pars, birdies on Nos. 4 and 8 and a bogey on the fifth hole, Mueller grinded through the day to finish with a 73 (+1) and position himself tied for 120th with a 132 total.
"Kyle was better in the afternoon today for sure, but still not nearly as sharp with his driving and approaches as he normally is," said U-M head coach Chris Whitten. "One or two shots he missed by a small amount and it cost him. His putting is very good and he has capitalized on his good irons, so we'll put in some work on his swing now and be sharp tomorrow for round three."
Mueller will play his third round on Sunday, May 27, at 2:12 p.m. CDT. The top 15 teams and top nine individuals not from a qualifying team, advance to Monday's final 18 holes to determine the national champion.
Previous Results: Day 1
Players Mentioned
