Port Neches-Groves ex Braden Bailey came alive with birdies on his final two holes Sunday to help Baylor post a one-under team total of 287 and finish tied for seventh with Virginia after 54 holes in the NCAA Golf Championships at Rich Harvest Farms Golf Club in Sugar Grove, Ill.
Bailey’s birdie-birdie finish enabled him to shoot his best round of the week, an even-par 72. The birdies helped wipe out the bad taste of a double bogey on his 14th hole that threatened to saddle Bailey with a third consecutive over-par round.
Baylor, which got 71s from Matthew Perrine and Cooper Doosey and 73s from Hunter Shattuck and Garrett May, trails 54-hole leader Vanderbilt (18 under) by nine strokes. UNLV, Oklahoma and Southern Cal are tied for second at minus 17, with Illinois at minus 14 and Oklahoma State at minus 12.
Though Bailey and the Bears had no stress in making the cut to 15 teams for the final round of medal play, they will be under the gun on Monday. The low eight teams advance to the quarterfinals of match play on Tuesday.
Ninth-place Auburn is only one stroke back of Baylor and Virginia at 8 under. LSU is minus 6, Texas stands at minus 5 and Florida State is minus 4.
With four scores counting each day, big swings are possible.
Meanwhile, Texas’s Scottie Scheffler holds the individual lead at minus 12, after shooting his third consecutive 68. The former U.S. Amateur champ owns a three-shot lead over two players.