AURORA, Ohio - Senior Duncan McNeill finished the first two rounds of the 2019 Mid-American Conference Men's Golf Championships on Saturday at five-under par 139 and will hold a three-stroke advantage entering tomorrow's final round. McNeill's outstanding play has helped Toledo to a third-place standing, 16 shots behind co-leaders Eastern Michigan and Kent State.
 
McNeill opened his day with a birdie and bogey and registered 15 pars and a birdie for the remainder of his first round. After bogeying his second hole of Round 2, the Annan, Scotland native hit the turn at one-under and grabbed the lead with three birdies in a four-hole stretch on the back nine. McNeill is tied for the tournament lead with 27 pars and finished with seven birdies and just two bogeys.
 
"Duncan is capable of making birdies in bunches and shaping shots with the best of them," Head Coach Jeff Roope said. "He's seeing his shots and executing the great majority of what he sees. It's been fun to watch."
 
The Rockets shot a 21-over par 597 over 36 holes today at the par-72, 7,202-yard Club Walden course after shooting 303 in the morning followed by 294 in the afternoon. EMU (294-287=581) held a six-stroke lead after the first round before KSU (300-281=581) rallied in the second round.

"The team keeps battling and has been showing glimpses of what each of them is capable of individually," Roope said. "As a coach, you just hope they piece it together collectively at the right time of the year. We'll have to hope that happens tomorrow."
 
Sophomore Grant Godfrey was the only other Rocket to shoot even par or better today and is tied for 22^nd place at seven-over par 151 (79-72). Junior Rasmus Broholt Lind is tied for 26^th place at eight-over par 152 (75-77), freshman Muhammed Afif Mohd Fathi is tied for 36^th place at 11-over par 155 (78-77) and freshman David Amm is tied for 38^th place at 14-over par 158 (80-78).
 
Toledo will join the Eagles and Golden Flashes in tomorrow's final threesomes, with their tee times beginning at 9:20 a.m.
 
The tournament was originally scheduled for 72 holes but the course was unplayable on Friday due to heavy rains in the area.
 
TEAM STANDINGS
T1. Eastern Michigan 294-287=581 (+5); T1. Kent State 300-281=581 (+5); 3. Toledo 303-294=597 (+21); 4. Akron 311-287=598 (+22); 5. Bowling Green 307-295=602 (+26); T6. Ohio 310-293=603 (+27); T6. Miami 306-297=603 (+27); 8. Ball State 307-297=604 (+28); 9. Northern Illinois 320-289=609 (+33)

TOP FIVE INDIVIDUALS
1. Duncan McNeill (UT) 71-68=139 (-5); 2. Gisli Sveinbergsson (KSU) 71-71=142 (-2); T3. CJ Jones (BSU) 74-70=144 (E); T3. Will Kurtz (KSU) 73-71=144 (E); 5. Zach Sudinsky (EMU) 74-71=145 (+1)

TOLEDO INDIVIDUALS
1. Duncan McNeill 71-68=139 (-5); T22. Grant Godfrey 79-72=151 (+7); T26. Rasmus Broholt Lind 75-77=152 (+8); T36. Muhammed Afif Mohd Fathi 76-77=153 (+9); T38. David Amm 80-78=158 (+14)