MILTON, Ga. -- Arizona State freshman Jon Rahm shot 11 strokes higher than the day before but still maintained the individual lead after Wednesday's second round of the NCAA men's golf tournament at the Capital City Club's Crabapple Course.
In the team competition, Arizona State was 18 shots higher than its opening round score and slid from first place to seventh. The Sun Devils remain in position to advance to the match-play quarterfinals to determine the national team champion, but their margin is a slim one.
Rahm followed up Tuesday's 9-under 61 with a round of 72. He leads Central Florida's Greg Eason and Arkansas' Nicolas Echavarria by one shot heading into Thursday's third round, after which the individual national champion will be crowned. Fifteen golfers are within three shots of the lead.
The top eight teams after Thursday's round will advance to the match-play quarterfinals. Seventh-ranked Georgia Tech leads the team standings at 12-under 548, followed closely by No. 1 California (549), No. 4 Texas (550) and No. 2 Alabama (551).
ASU, which entered the tournament ranked 38th, is at 2-under 558. The Sun Devils have a two-shot lead over Texas A&M and a three-shot cushion over ninth-place Central Florida in their bid to advance to the match-play quarterfinals. Six teams are within four shots of eighth place.
Rahm, who had 10 birdies in the first round, started quickly with three more birdies on his first four holes on Wedneday but then stumbled a bit, finishing the round with five birdies, five bogeys and one double-bogey.
Spencer Lawson and Austin Quick both shot 70 for ASU's best scores of the round.
Rahm is attempting to become ASU's seventh individual national champion. Three of the previous occurred in 10-year intervals: Alejandro Canizares (2003), Todd Demsey (1993) and Jim Carter (1983). The other three were won by Phil Mickelson (1989, 1990, 1992).
