BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – North Carolina A&T's Round 2 on Tuesday at the annual PGA Works Collegiate Championship did not go as well as its first round on Monday in men's golf action at the par-71, 6,681-yard Bent Brook Golf Course. On Monday, the teams played on the par-72, 7,205-yard Shoal Creek Club golf course.
The Aggies dropped from a second-place finish on Monday to a third-place showing going into the tournament's final day on Wednesday. The Aggies are 37 shots behind tournament leader Howard after shooting a second-round 13-over 297. After shooting 3-over in the first round on the par-72 course, the Aggies enter Round 3 with a total score of 16-over 588. The Howard Bison shot a second-round 14-under 270 to take over the lead after shooting a 7-under 281 on Monday for a two-round total of 21-under 551.
Alabama A&M moved up one spot to take over second place. The Bulldogs shot a second-day 3-over 287, leading the Aggies by three strokes at 13-over 585. The play of Kim Byeongkwan and Niall Bagnall fueled Alabama A&M's surge. Byeongkwan shot a 3-under 68 on Tuesday, and Bagnall shot a second-round 72.
Meanwhile, the Aggies top duo took a slight dip on the leaderboard during the second round. Freshman Samuel Drew Walker dropped from fourth place to 11th after shooting a second-round 5-over 76. With his Day 1 2-under 70, Walker is tied for 11th at 3-over 146. Graduate Diego Gonzalez dropped down three spots from Monday by shooting a 1-over 73. Gonzalez is in eighth place with an even-par 143 after 36 holes.
Chicago State's Kieran Hogarth remains atop the leaderboard at 7-under 136. Also remaining the same from Monday is the second-place tie between the Howard duo of Everett Whiten Jr. and Marcus Smith. After shooting a Day 1 69, both men shot a Day 2 68 to finish one stroke off the lead at 6-under 137. Four Bison are in the top-5, including Curtis Merritt's fourth-place finish at 5-under 138 and Gregory Odom Jr.'s fifth-place 4-under 139.
Gonzalez had an up-and-down front nine on Tuesday with four bogeys and two birdies. He birdied the par-4, 440-yard sixth, and the par-5 559-yard eighth. He had a much better back nine, carding eight pars and birdieing the par-5 557-yard 11th. Gonzalez is 5-under on the par 5s during the week.
Walker flirted with the lead on Monday, but Tuesday's front nine was difficult for Walker. He had five bogeys on the front nine. However, Walker did remain competitive with birdies on the par-4, 344-yard fourth and the par-5 eighth. Then, as he made the turn, Walker made five straight pars before bogeying the 15th and the 18th to finish the round. Walker is 6-under on par 5s for the week.
Sophomore Martin Gutierrez is in a four-way tie for 18th place after shooting a two-round 6-over 149. Gutierrez had two birdies on the day with a three on the par-4, 394-yard third and a four on the par-5, 557-yard 11th. Conrado Chozas is in a four-way tie for 22nd at 7-over 150. He had one birdie on Tuesday on the par-4 fourth.
Wednesday will be the Aggies final round of the 2022-23 season.
