CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
 
PALM HARBOR, Fla. – Memphis stormed a first-place lead after the second round of the 2019 American Athletic Conference Men’s Golf Championship on Tuesday while SMU’s Mac Meissner carded a second-straight 5-under, 66 to set a 36-hole record in championship play for The American.
 
The Tigers carded a second round 2-under, 282 to surge to a six-stroke lead after trailing by one after the initial round. Memphis’s 282 is tied for the third-lowest second round in American title play. The Tigers also boast all five of its players in the top-15 and all for scorers in the top-10.


 
SMU, Temple and UCF all went for a team 289 in the second round. The Mustangs are within striking distance while Temple and UCF are 12 strokes back.
 
American Athletic Conference Men’s Golf Championship history was also made as SMU’s Mac Meissner replicated his first round 5-under, 66 to set the best-ever two-round mark at the championship, breaking the score set by USF’s Ryan Fricker in 2015 at Black Diamond Ranch. Fricker went 67, 67 in the first two rounds of that championship and went on to win the individual title by two strokes.
 
Meissner enters Title Tuesday with a seven stroke lead and a chance to blow open The American Championship record book.


 
Five other players are under par through two round with Memphis’ Brad Bawden the closest at 3-under, 139. Bawden and Meissner will play together for the second-straight day and final grouping of the championship tomorrow.
 
Cincinnati’s Austin Squires fired a 4-under, 67 on Monday to charge up to second place at 2-under. He is tied  with USF’ Albin Bergstrom with a two-round 140.
 
Just behind is UCF’s Bobby Bai and Kyler Tate who both boast 1-under, 141’s.
 
14 different players posted rounds of par or better on day two.
 
Title Tuesday and the Third Round of Championship play begins tomorrow, Wednesday, April 23 at 7:30 a.m., ET. The American Digital Network will provide championship highlights and live coverage of 18 beginning at noon ET.