Bucs three shots off lead entering final round

MURRELLS INLET, S.C. (March 10, 2014) -- Junior Rhys Pugh (Pontypridd, Wales) led the ETSU men's golf team in the first two rounds of the General Hackler Championship as the Welshman fired a 1-under-par 143 on Monday at the TPC Myrtle Beach.

Pugh, who enters Tuesday's final round with a one shot lead, began the day with a 1-over 73, and caught fire in the second round as he registered a 2-under 70. The Buccaneer junior birdied two of his first three holes and also totaled two more on the back nine en route to moving from being tied for fourth into sole possession of the lead.

Pugh has a one stroke advantage over three golfers – Corey Conners (Kent State), Andrew Dorn (Coastal Carolina), and Payne McLeod (UNC Wilmington).

As a team, the Blue and Gold sit in fourth-place at 19-over 595 (303-292).

The Bucs are only three shots off team-leader and No. 22-ranked Kent State. The Golden Flashes finished the first two rounds at 16-over 592.

Other ETSU notables include sophomores Adrian Meronk (Wroclaw, Poland) and Chris Hickman (Centreville, Md.). The Buccaneer duo are both tied for 18th at 6-over 150.

The final round of the tournament begins Tuesday at 9 a.m. ETSU is paired with Iowa State and host Coastal Carolina.

Live scoring of the tournament can be accessed via GolfStat.com.

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For more information on Buccaneer men’s golf, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the men’s golf page.