USC sophomore Jack Buchanan takes lead with electric 8-under round at Western Intercollegiate | Men's golf

SANTA CRUZ - Yes, they will "Fight On!"

Two USC golfers, Jack Buchanan and Jaden Dumdumaya, sit atop the leaderboard after the second round of 79th Western Intercollegiate on Tuesday. They'll look to hold off some hungry challengers in Wednesday's final round while they duke battle it out for medalist honors on Pasatiempo Golf Club.

Buchanan, a sophomore out of Cape Town, South Africa, leads with an 11-under 129 total, and Dumdumaya, who prepped at De La Salle in Concord, sits in second at 8-under.

Buchanan made it look easy on the heralded Alister MacKenzie design.

Buchanan carded a pair of eagles over a four-hole stretch and added six birdies in his round of 8-under-par 62 as he jumped to the lead. He had two bogeys.

After acing the 190-yard fifth hole in the first round, Buchanan added to his highlight reel in the nationally televised event with eagles on a pair of par-5 holes, the 492-yard ninth hole and 532-yard 13th.

Dumdumaya turned in his second eagle in as many rounds. He carded a 3 on the par-5 sixth hole, which checks in at 567 yards, during his 5-under 65 in the second round. He had four birdies over the final six holes, giving him five on the day. He finished with two bogeys.

The Trojans lead the team competition with a 16-under total after opening with even par on Monday. Cal is in second at 12-under, and BYU is third at 4-under.

USC is attempting to win its first Intercollegiate crown since 2017 and eighth overall.

Stanford dropped five spots to eighth place at 6-over. Tournament host San Jose State improved by 13 strokes to climb two spots into 10th at the 15-team event. The Spartans have a 15-over total.

San Diego State's Harry Takis, ranked No. 4 in the nation, carded bogey on hole Nos. 3 and 18 to bookend six birdies in his 4-under round. He sits in third at 7-under 133.

Arizona's Taishi Moto had two bogeys, a birdie, and an eagle on No. 9 in his 1-under round. He's in fourth place with a 6-under 134 total.

UNLV's Zach Little was 4-over through four holes, but was 7-under the rest of the way, thanks to his eagle on the 532-yard 13th hole.

No. 9 ranked Kihei Akina of BYU and Cal's Charlie Bundy are tied for sixth at 4-under, and

Cal's Trevor Cox and Ziqin Zhou, UNLV's Mason Snyder, BYU's Simon Kwon, Chattanooga's Ward Harris, Arizona's Zach Pollo, and Oregon's Aiden Krafft are tied for eighth place at 3-under overall.

Krafft was 8-under through 13 holes after securing eagles on hole Nos. 6 and 9, but he carded double-bogeys on No. 15 and 16 before earning birdie on No. 17 to finish the day at 5-under.

Zhou also eagled the ninth hole.

Stanford's Dean Greyserman and Nathan Wang are part of a five-way tie 15th at 2-under.

San Jose State's Ivan Barahona and Avinash Iyer, and Cal's Daniel Heo are in a five-way tie for 25th at even par.

Final round action begins at 7:40 a.m.

Dumdumaya, paired with Zhou, Kwon, and Snyder, tees off at 12:28 p.m.

Buchanan, paired with Bundy, Akina, and Little, tees off in the final group at 12:40 p.m.

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