SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – The No. 3-seeded Fighting Illini men's golf team used a renewed focus to find that Illini edge synonymous with head coach Mike Small's teams. That coupled with favorable morning conditions resulted in four scores in the 60s that lifted the Illini to the top of the leaderboard after 36 holes on Saturday at the NCAA Championship at Grayhawk Golf Club's Raptor Course.

"We came out with a little bit of an edge today, came out a little more purposeful," Small said of his team's improved play following Friday's opening 285 that had Illinois start the day in a tie for ninth. "Yesterday on our first hole, we had one guy hit the green in regulation. Today we came out on point, a little more focused, and had a little more of the Illini edge, which we need to maintain, but that was the difference. We played solid golf. We chipped and putted the ball well, had a few good saves and drove it solidly. We just played from strength today."

That solid team effort, which featured three rounds of 2-under 68 from Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Matthis Besard, and Jackson Buchanan, and a 1-under 69 from Tommy Kuhl, gave the Illini a team total of 7-under 283 in Round 2. That tally marks the second-lowest team round in the three-year run of the NCAA Championship at Grayhawk, trailing only eventual national champion Pepperdine's Round 4 score of 271 (-9) in 2021.  

"In waves like this, you tee off early one day and late the next - or late and then early - the first two rounds of a four-round tournament. It's always better to go late, early. It just always is," Small added. "You get back out there if it's a good round. If it's a bad round you get back out there; you're not sitting around waiting. So that's what we did, and I think that had a lot to do with it, but we've earned that. That's why they give the top three seeds those tee time."

Even with favorable conditions, the Illini squad still had to execute its gameplan on the course, succeeding even as their playing partners – top-seeded Vanderbilt and No. 2 North Carolina – finished with rounds of 288 (+8) and 284 (+4) to sit in a sixth and a tie for third, respectively, with 18 holes left to play Sunday before a cut down to 15 team's for Monday's stroke play finale.

Behind the Illini at -2 overall, No. 9 Florida (who also came out of the Illini's regional in Bath, Mich.) is in second place. The Gators are three shots behind Illinois after posting the only other under-par round of the day, a 278 (-2), to sit at 1-over through two days. Georgia Tech is tied with UNC for third at 566 (+6), while Pepperdine (8-over 568) is fifth, two shots ahead of Vandy.

Dumont de Chassart, who opened the day tied for sixth, is up into a share off second with Texas A&M's Daniel Rodrigues at 136 (-4) after his second straight 68. Georgia Tech's Ross Steelman continues to lead at 7-under.

Besard, Buchanan and Kuhl all made big moves up the individual leaderboard on Saturday. Besard posted the second-largest jump of the day, ascending 73 spots from a tie for 115th to a share of 42nd with a two-round total of 144 (+4). Kuhl rose 28 spots into a tie for 19th at 141 (+1), and Buchanan joins Dumont de Chassart inside the top 10 after moving up 23 spots into a tie for eighth at 139 (-1). Piercen Hunt (149) was also in action for the Illini, but did not factor into the team score for the day after carding a 75 (+5).

Illinois returns to action Sunday morning for Round 3, teeing off of No 1 at the same time – 6:10 a.m. PT – in groupings with Florida and North Carolina. Live scoring is available throughout the tournament at Golfstat.com.