2026 Round 2 Recap

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. – USC turned the leaderboard red during the second round of the 79th Western Intercollegiate Presented by Titleist, firing a blistering team total of 334 (-16) to claim a commanding lead at the historic Pasatiempo Golf Club.

The Team Race

Entering the day after an opening round 350, the Trojans found their rhythm on the 6,438-yard, par-70 layout. Their two-round total of 684 (-16) puts them four strokes ahead of California, which sits in second place at 688 (-12). A three-way tie for third place features Chattanooga, UNLV, and Brigham Young, all at 696 (-4) heading into the final round.

Buchanan Dominates Individual Leaderboard

Following his hole-in-one during the first round, USC's Jack Buchanan delivered the performance of the tournament in the second round, carding a sensational tournament record 8-under-par 62. His round included a masterclass in consistency, moving him to 11-under for the tournament and giving him a three-stroke cushion over teammate Jaden Dumdumaya.

Dumdumaya remained in the hunt with a strong 65 (-5) in the second round, bringing his total to 132 (-8). Arizona's Taishi Moto lurks in fourth place at 6-under total, followed by UNLV’s Zach Little at 5-under.

Climb of the Day: USC’s Jose Antonio Safa bounced back from a difficult opening 84 to shoot a 2-under 68 in the second round.

Television coverage of the second round starts at 4:00 p.m. (PT) on Wednesday on the Golf Channel.