Sign Up For Free Email Updates

By TOM ZEBOLD

USF Senior Writer

USF's Trey Valentine is right in the thick of a title hunt at the FAU Spring Break Championship.

The freshman fired a 1-under 70 during Saturday's second round that put him four strokes away from event leaders Thomas Dunne of Northern Illinois and Brooks Koepka of Florida State at 6 under.

The Bulls moved up one spot to seventh place at 10 over and trail No. 22 FSU by 22 strokes heading into Sunday's final round at The Fountains Country Club in Lake Worth, Fla. USF was without Branden Collins, its other rising freshman, on Friday because of an illness but he came back to card a 70 in the second round.

"We certainly got off to a good start and gave ourselves an opportunity, which is the first part to playing a good round," said head coach Chris Malloy, whose Bulls are looking for their fifth top-10 finish of the season.

Valentine, ranked 38^th in the country as an individual, started the tournament with a 70 on Friday and battled through an up and down second round to get to 2 under overall. The Melbourne, Fla. native had two bogeys through the first five holes, bounced back with five birdies and could have been even closer to the leaders if it wasn't for a double bogey on 18.

"He kind of plugged along like he did Friday and me made a couple of birdies right in the middle of the round. He just hit one loose shot and it cost him," Malloy said. "He'll have a lot of confidence to take from this one and try to win a tournament for us tomorrow."

Collins is a part of the first group that will start Sunday's final round at 8:30 a.m. on the par-71 course. Valentine is set to tee off at 9:06 a.m. Get live scoring at Golfstat.com.

USF Player Scores