MUSCLE SHOALS, Ala. - - Wilmington University junior golfer Ryan Rucinski moved up 31 positions on the leaderboard in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Division II National Tournament on Tuesday, shooting a 70 (-2) on the Fighting Joe course at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at the Shoals.
Rucinski bookended his second round with a pair of birdie flurries, starting the day hot and finishing even hotter for one of the best 20 rounds of the day. He has a two-day total of 152 (+8) and in a tie for 70th overall. He was in a tie for 101st after the first round.
The junior was as low as three under par on the day, birdieing each of the first three holes on Tuesday. Starting from the first hole, Rucinski birdied the par five first, the par four second, and the par four third to get to three under through three holes. But he ran into trouble on the par three fifth, finishing with a double bogey before also double bogeying the par five seventh to make the turn with a 37 (+1).
A bogey on the par five12th set him back to two-over par on the day, but Rucinski finished with a flurry. He answered with a birdie on the par three 13th, a birdie on the par four 14th, and another birdie on the par four 15th to turn his round into one-under with three holes left.
After a par on 16, he put a birdie in on the par five 17th before finishing with a par on the par three 18th. After being two-over par through 12 holes, Rucinski finished four under in the final six holes to shoot a 70 (-2).
Barry's Jorge Garcia shot a tournament course record 63 (-9) on Tuesday to jump into first place at -11 for the tournament, one stroke ahead of the nation's number one player from Florida Southern, John VanDerLaan, who shot a 68 (-4).
Garcia helped lead Barry into the top spot on the leaderboard with a team score of 272, jumping West Florida with being -18 after two rounds. West Florida is in second at -15 following two rounds.
Rucinski will finish the National Tournament with the third round on Wednesday. He will tee off from the 10th tee box starting at 8:04 a.m.