SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — James Whitworth carded a 1-under-par 69 on Tuesday at the historic Pasatiempo Golf Club to lead the University of Hawai'i men's golf team during the second round of the 79th Western Intercollegiate.
 
Whitworth's performance, which marked an 11-stroke improvement from his opening round, featured the only under-par score of the day for the Rainbow Warriors and moved him into a tie for 71st place overall. Junior Dane Watanabe also climbed the leaderboard, carding a 73 (+3) to sit in a tie for 67th with a two-day total of 148 (+8). Freshman Alec Hilgers also shot 73 (+3) to join Whitworth in a tie for 71st at 149 (+9).
 
In a premier field featuring eight top-50 programs , the Rainbow Warriors received extensive national television coverage on the Golf Channel while paired with Chattanooga. The Mocs remained among the top teams on the leaderboard as four of their golfers turned in under-par rounds during Tuesday's session.
 
Hawai'i improved its team score by 14 strokes compared to the opening round, carding a 366 on Tuesday. The team remains in 14th place with a two-day total of 746 (+46), extending its lead over Big West rival UC Irvine to 17 strokes.
 
USC surged into the team lead after firing a 16-under-par 334 on Tuesday, holding a four-stroke advantage over first-round leader California. Individually, USC's Jack Buchanan moved into the top spot on the leaderboard after carding a 62 (-8), the lowest round of the tournament thus far.
 
After an opening-round 71, UH's Nathan Szpakowicz carded a 79 (+9) on Tuesday, dropping into a tie for 78th place. Freshman Chris Salem is currently tied for 87th after carding a 75 (+5) , while Quinn Murray showed significant improvement with a 76 (+6) to sit in 96th place.
 
As the longest-running collegiate tournament west of the Mississippi, the Western Intercollegiate continues a storied tradition that has featured past champions such as Johnny Miller and Scottie Scheffler. Hawai'i will return to the course Wednesday for the final round as they look to conclude their stay at the historic Alister MacKenzie design.
 
14. Hawai'i — 746 (+46)
T67. Dane Watanabe: 75-73=148 (+8)
T71. James Whitworth: 80-69=149 (+9)
T71. Alec Hilgers: 76-73=149 (+9)
T78. Nathan Szpakowicz: 71-79=150 (+10)
T87. Christopher Salem: 78-75=153 (+13)
96. Quinn Murray: 93-76=169 (+29)