For most of the season, the play of the WSU men’s golf team could be summed up simply by comparing it to the Palouse Ridge Golf Course the team calls home; that is, there have been plenty of ups and downs.

The first day of the Pac-12 Men’s Golf Tournament provided the perfect opportunity for the Cougars to perform more consistently. WSU used its intimate knowledge of the Palouse Ridge Golf Course to its advantage over its competitors yesterday.

Freshman Derek Bayley carded the lowest score for the Cougars in the second round, shooting a 5-under, 65. At a combined 6-under, 134, Bayley is currently in second place, trailing Stanford sophomore Maverick McNealy by just one stroke.

Michael Anderson also had a strong day, especially in the first round. The WSU senior carded four birdies over his first nine holes (10-18) and finished the morning with a score of 67. Anderson shot an even 70 in the second round, but ended the first day tied for fifth at 3-under, 137.

WSU Head Coach Garrett Clegg had mentioned earlier last week that his team would have more of an advantage if windy weather was in the forecast. However, sunny skies and warm temperatures helped to even the playing field. Golfers from USC and Arizona State thrived in the environment, helping to propel their teams to first and second place, respectively, halfway through the tournament.

Senior Sang Lee struggled in the first round, carding a double bogey on the first hole of the tournament (Hole 10, Par 5). He also shot three more bogeys over the last seven holes to finish the first round at 4-over, 74. But Lee came back in the second round by shooting a birdie on the 10th hole, a three-stroke improvement from the first round. He finished with 4 birdies in the second round and a combined 2-over, 142, after Day 1.

Lee won the Cougars’ only other tournament held in Pullman this season. In September, Lee won the Itani Quality Homes Collegiate with a three-round total of 6-under. He is currently tied for 19th in the Pac-12 Men’s Tournament.

Sophomore Nick Mandell concluded the first two rounds with a 4-over, 144, while freshman Brian Mogg shot a 12-over, 152. Redshirt senior Alex Wagner finished at 15-over, 155, though neither of his scores (80 in Round 1, 75 in Round 2) counted toward the overall team score as he carded the highest totals for WSU golfers in each round.

Round 3 begins at 8 a.m. today. WSU is paired with USC and Arizona State, with Wagner teeing off first for the Cougars at 9:06 a.m.

Reporting by Spencer Anderson