Cobras Within Striking Distance

The Cobras posted a 4-over par team score of 284 for the first 18 holes on a cold Monday morning and they were 3-under par when darkness halted play around 6:30 p.m. late in the second 18. Although all scores haven't been reported, host Barton has the lead at 6-under, followed by Newberry and Columbus State at 2-under. Coker is fourth at 1-over. Play will resume at 7:40 a.m. Tuesday when teams will finish the last two holes of round two, followed by the final 18.

"We are playing well and poised to win a tournament," Coker head coach John Hackney said. "I thought the guys did a good job minimizing mistakes today, which is why we are in the hunt. This is not a golf course you need to overpower; you just need to be smart. If we can get our putters hot tomorrow, we'll have a chance to hoist the trophy, which would be nice since this is a very large field of 22 teams."

Senior Caleb Tidd led the way for Coker in the first round with a 3-under 67, followed by senior Aaron Teece, who got off to a hot start and finished with a 68. Senior Jonathan Hallinger carded a 74, super senior Killian Ryan totaled 75 and junior Derek McGlaughlin fired 76. Coker notched 11 birdies in its first 18 and had just four double bogeys from its fivesome.

Coker has carded many more birdies thus far in round two, with Hallinger and Ryan sitting at 2-under each. McGlaughlin and Tidd each birdied their final holes in near darkness and stood even par and +1, respectively. Teece is 5-over. Tidd hit a ball out of bounds and made a quadruple bogey on the first hole of his second round -- and also had a double -- but he has also rattled in five birdies.

"Our guys are playing well, so it should be fun out there tomorrow," Hackney said.