Tucson, Ariz.----- For the second time this season, San Jose State University senior Kevin Velo completed a superb, under-par bogey-free round with a six-under par 66 in the second round of the Mountain West Men's Golf Championship.
Velo balanced a three-under front side with a three-under back nine on the par 72, 7,184-yard Omni Tucson National golf course. He birdied each of the four par-5 holes on the course and added birdies on the par-4 #6 and #13 holes. His 66 matched the second best score of the day by any of the 55-players in the conference tournament field.
"He (Kevin) played well and turned things around considerably. He definitely played better today. We all did, actually, and the scores reflect that clearly," said San Jose State men's golf coach John Kennaday. "It was more pronounced in his score – that's for sure."
Velo's first bogey-free round of the season was in the first round of the Southwestern Intercollegiate at the North Ranch Country Club in March when he posted a three-under par 69.
His 66 in the middle round of the 54-hole Mountain West Championship propelled San Jose State to an eight-stroke improvement over the Spartans' first-round team score of 290. Ben Campbell bounced back from an opening round 79 with a one-under par 71. Matt Heitel also cut his score from his first 18 by two shots with an even par 72. San Jose State's fourth counting score for the second round was Bryce Wortman's one-over par 73.
The Spartans' 572 team score has San Jose State in ninth-place, six strokes behind Nevada and Wyoming tied for seventh in the 11-team field at 566.
Colorado State, the first-round co-leader with New Mexico, leads the race for the team championship with a 554. UNLV slipped into second at 556. New Mexico is third at 557.
"We've left quite a few (strokes) out there. We lipped out so many putts. We're hitting good putts and they're not going in. They haven't gone in yet. We're hitting the ball great and were putting the ball great, but they're just hitting the lips," the Spartans' coach summarized about the first two rounds.
Velo's 66 vaulted him into a seventh-place tie for medalist honors at 139. First-round individual co-leader Sean Carlon of New Mexico held on to the top spot with a 68 for a 135. Teammate Galven Green matched Velo with a 66 and is in second at 136. UNLV's James Kim turned in the tournament's best round to date with a bogey-free, eight under 64 and is tied with Fresno State's Alex Lee for third place at 137.
The 54-hole championship concludes with a final round on April 28. Live scoring is available on GolfStat.
San Jose State University men's golf
Mountain West Men's Golf Championship
Omni Tucson National golf course, Tucson, Ariz.
Par 72, 7,194 yards
36-hole results
| Team scores | |
| 1. Colorado State | 554 |
| 2. UNLV | 556 |
| 3. New Mexico | 557 |
| 4. San Diego State | 561 |
| 5. Fresno State | 563 |
| 6. Boise State | 565 |
| 7. Nevada | 566 |
| Wyoming | 566 |
| 9. San Jose State | 572 |
| 10. Utah State | 582 |
| 11. Air Force | 586 |
| Leading individuals | |
| 1. Sean Carlon, New Mexico | 67-68=135 |
| 2. Galven Green, New Mexico | 70-66=136 |
| 3. James Kim, UNLV | 73-64=137 |
| Alex Lee, Fresno State | 67-70=137 |
| 5. Cameron Barzekoff, Boise State | 70-68=138 |
| Sam Meek, Nevada | 72-66=138 |
| A.J. Ott, Colorado State | 69-69=138 |
| San Jose State scores | |
| 8. Kevin Velo | 73-66=139 |
| 30. Bryce Wortman | 71-73=144 |
| 38. Matt Heitel | 74-72=146 |
| 38. Sean Yu | 72-74=146 |
| 49. Ben Campbell | 79-71=150 |