AUGUSTA -- USCB is closing in on their first-ever Peach Belt Conference championship, holding firm atop the leaderboard after a stellar second round at the PBC Championships on Saturday. The Sand Sharks fired a collective 6-under as a team to push their tournament total to 15-under-par, building a 10-stroke cushion over second-place USC Aiken heading into the final round.
Freshman standout Erik Rengardt once again led the charge for the Sand Sharks, carding a 3-under 69 behind a flurry of six birdies. His 8-under total puts him in solo first in the individual standings, narrowly edging Georgia Southwestern's Nicholas Escobar by one stroke. With one round to play, Rengardt is in prime position to claim the individual crown alongside the team title.
Aaron Williams delivered a clutch performance in round two, matching Rengardt's 3-under to vault into the top-10 individually. After a bogey on the third hole, Williams found his rhythm and dropped four birdies over the remainder of the round to post a critical under-par score for USCB.
Nikolai Holme added another under-par round to the Sand Sharks' tally, firing a 2-under 70. Despite early bogeys on holes 3 and 7, Holme recovered impressively with four birdies to close out his day. He now sits in the top-5 overall at 3-under for the tournament.
Nicolas Normand had a strong start to his second round, shooting 1-under through six holes. However, back-to-back bogeys on 7 and 8 slowed his momentum. A birdie on 9 helped him recover slightly, and he finished with a 2-over 74 for the day.
Rounding out the scoring five for USCB was Ellis Bright, who posted a 3-over 75. Despite the higher score, Bright's contributions on day one kept the Sand Sharks in contention early, and his second-round effort ensured USCB held its advantage.
With just 18 holes remaining, the Sand Sharks are in pole position to secure their first PBC championship in program history. Holding a 10-stroke advantage, USCB will look to finish strong when final-round play begins Saturday at 9:30 a.m.
