Arkansas men move into 5th

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — Arkansas’ men’s golf team made up some ground Saturday at the SEC Championships.

Senior Ethan Tracy fired a 3-under-par 67 to help Arkansas move up two spots to fifth place after the second round at Seaside Golf Club. The Razorbacks shot even-par 280 as a team Saturday, a sixstroke improvement over their first-round score, and they are alone in fifth place at 6-over 566 heading into today’s final round.

Alabama led for the second consecutive day, following its opening-round 272 with a 6under 274 that left the Crimson Tide at 14-under 546 for the tournament. Georgia shot 4-over 284 on Saturday and is tied for second at 3-under 557 with Auburn, which shot 280 Saturday. Florida is fourth at 1over 561 following its 2-under 278 Saturday.

“We played better today,” Arkansas Coach Brad Mcmakin said. “We avoided the bad start that we had yesterday but couldn’t quite finish. We gave away several strokes over the final three holes today, which could have had us in a solid position to challenge for the top three.”

Tracy turned in the best round at the event by an Arkansas player in two years.

Tracy picked up where he left off Friday, when he was 3 over on the first five holes before closing out his round with 13 conscecutive pars. He opened the second round with four consecutive pars, then went birdie-eagle-birdie to move to 4 under before making the turn.

He made seven more par putts before capping his run with a birdie on the par-3 sixth hole to go to 5 under with three holes to play. An errant tee shot on the par-5 seventh hole led to a double bogey — Tracy’s first score in 28 holes that wasn’t par or better — before he closed his round with two pars to move into a tie for 13th.

Tennessee’s Rick Lamb turned in a 3-under 67 on Saturday to move into a tie for first with Alabama’s Bobby Wyatt, who shot a 1-under 69 on Saturday. They are tied at 6-under 134 for the tournament.

Alabama’s Justin Thomas shot a 3-under 67 and is alone in third at 5-under 135, while Auburn’s Michael Johnson, Florida’s T.J. Vogel and Mississippi State’s Chad Ramey are tied for fourth at 3-under 137.

Arkansas’ freshman Thomas Sorensen, junior Austin Cook and junior Sabastian Cappelen are tied for 23rd at 2-over 142.

Sorensen opened his round Saturday with eight pars on the way to shooting 70 that moved him into a tie for 23rd at 142. Cook turned in his second 71, and Cappelen followed up his even-par round of 70 with a round of 2-over 72 on Saturday that included 14 pars.

Kolton Crawford shaved five strokes off his first-round score and shot a 2-over par 72. He opened his second round with five consecutive pars before knocking down a birdie on the par-5 15th hole, but a bogey on No. 16 dropped him back to even par.

Officials moved up today’s final-round tee times 30 minutes because of the threat of storms.