Howey-In-The-Hills, Fla. -- A strong team effort on the back nine allowed the Youngstown State men's golf team to jump to third place after Sunday's second round of the 2024 Horizon League Golf Championships at Mission Inn Resort's El Campeon course.
The Penguins posted a second-round team score of 294 on Sunday to move up two spots after an opening-round 295 on Saturday. Wright State holds a four-shot lead over Purdue Fort Wayne with a two-round total of 576 while YSU sits in third with a 589. The Guins own a four-stroke advantage on fourth-place Cleveland State heading into Monday's final round.
Justin Atkinson remains in the top 10 in a tie for sixth with a two-round total of 146 after a four-over-par 76 on Sunday. The senior's second session featured 10 pars and three birdies. Atkinson rallied with a two-under-par 35 on the back nine after shooting six over par over his first nine holes.
Cole Christman led YSU's charge on Sunday with a two-under-par round of 70 that included seven pars and seven birdies. The fifth-year senior shot an even-par 35 on the front nine before recording five birdies during a two-under-par 35 on the back nine. Christman catapulted 20 spots on the individual leaderboard into a tie for 12th after a first-round 77.
Jacob Sylak carded a second-round 76 on Sunday that featured 10 pars and three birdies following an even-par 72 on Saturday. The junior responded impressively on the back nine with a one-under-par 36 after going five over par on the front nine. Sylak is tied for 16th on the individual leaderboard heading into Monday's final round.
Ryan Sam fired an even-par round of 72 on Sunday to move up 14 spots into 18th place. The sophomore's second round of play included eight pars and five birdies as he shot a one-under-par 36 on the back nine. Sam opened the tournament with a 77 on Saturday. Dean Austalosh is tied for 34th after a second-round 79 that featured 12 pars. The redshirt senior started the event with an opening-round 76.
The Penguins will play their third and final round at the Horizon League Championships on Monday afternoon following the women's final round. YSU's tee times off No. 1 will begin at 12:50 p.m. Live scoring will be available at Golfstat.com.
For the latest news and updates throughout the 2024 Horizon League Golf Championships, follow @YSUMensGolf on X and Instagram.
