GREENWOOD, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken golf team is in first place as a team after the first two rounds of play at the Third Annual Bearcat Golf Classic at the par-72, 6,800-yard Greenwood Country Club.

The Pacers fired a two-round cumulative team tally of 5-under 571 (290-281) to enter the third and final round with a 10-stroke lead on current second-place team Georgia College (288-293=581). Columbus State is in third as a team at 585 (295-290).

The nationally 18^th-ranked Pacers carded a 290 as a team in the first round before acquiring a 281 in the second round. The 281 is the low team round of the tournament thus far.

All five Pacers playing in the event are currently in the top-26 with JP Solis (Morelia, Mexico/Lico Morelia) leading the charge for USC Aiken. Solis (70-69) is in a tie for third with Georgia Southwestern's Craig Gibson at 5-under 139.

Both Gaines Milliner (Aiken, S.C./Aiken) and Taylor Welborn (LaGrange, Ga./Darton) are tied for 12^th at 145. The duo of Milliner (77-68) and Welborn (76-69) both improved in the second round with each shooting under par.

USC Aiken's Hayden Letien (Sumter, S.C./Sumter) is tied for 22^nd at 148, while Matt Atkins (Owensboro, Ky./Henderson State) is tied for 26^th at 149 (71-78).

Flagler's Joel Dahlenburg is in the lead individually after the first two rounds of action with a two-round tally of 133 (66-67).

The third and final round of the Bearcat Golf Classic will be contested on Tuesday, Mar. 27 at the Greenwood Country Club.

Bearcat Golf Classic

Dates: 03/26-03/27, 2012

Round: 2

Par-Yardage: 72-6800

Fin. School Scores

1 USC Aiken 290 281 571

T 3 J.P. Solis 70 69 139

T 12 Gaines Milliner 77 68 145

T 12 Taylor Welborn 76 69 145

T 22 Hayden Letien 73 75 148

T 26 Matt Atkins 71 78 149

Fin. School Scores

1 USC Aiken 290 281 571 -5

2 Georgia College 288 293 581 +5

3 Columbus State 295 290 585 +9

4 Carson-Newman Coll. 300 286 586 +10

5 Newberry College 297 292 589 +13

Flagler College 297 292 589 +13

7 Georgia Southwestern 295 295 590 +14

8 Armstrong Atlantic 295 299 594 +18

9 Erskine College 296 300 596 +20

10 Queens Univ of Charl 299 298 597 +21

11 Montevallo, U of 304 295 599 +23

12 Coker College 301 299 600 +24

13 Clayton State Univ. 305 296 601 +25

14 Belmont Abbey Coll. 309 293 602 +26

15 North Georgia 311 301 612 +36

16 Mount Olive College 304 309 613 +37

17 Lander University 308 311 619 +43