EVANS, Ga. -- Coastal Carolina fired a two-round total of 11-under 565 Saturday to claim the 36-hole lead in the 2006 Administaff Augusta State Invitational presented by McCalla Raymer, LLC, at Champions Retreat Golf Club.

The Chanticleers, ranked 24th in the latest Golfweek rankings, own a six-shot lead over Minnesota. Clemson is third, eight shots off the lead, while USC Aiken is fourth, 10 shots off the pace. Mississippi and UCLA are tied for fifth, 13 strokes back of the Chants.

Host Augusta State is in seventh place at seven-over 579, but stands just one shot behind the Rebels and Bruins and six strokes out of third place. The fifth-ranked Bruins are the highest-ranked team in a field that includes nine of the nation’s top 31 teams.

USC Aiken’s Scott Brown (70-69) and Coastal’s Dustin Johnson (69-70) are tied for the individual lead at five-under 139. Coastal’s Joachim Fourquet is alone in third, one back of the co-leaders. UCLA’s Erik Flores, Notre Dame’s Cole Isban and Minnesota’s Josh Persons are locked in a three-way tie for fourth at three-under 141. Isban fired the low round of the day, a five-under 67 in the afternoon, after opening with a two-over 74.

The Chanticleers turned in the low round of the morning at six-under 282 and followed it up with an afternoon-best five-under 283. Augusta State and UCLA shared the second-best afternoon effort, a two-under 286.

All five Jaguars are tied between 22nd and 38th place. Sophomores Jamie Miller (72-73) and Mike Keast (76-69) posted respective one-over 145’s and are part of a nine-way logjam for 22nd. Keast booked ASU’s best round of the day, a three-under 69 in the afternoon, after opening with a 76. Sophomore Keith Guest (72-74) and junior Major Manning (74-72) are tied for 31st at two-over 146, while junior Wallace Booth (75-72) is part of a five-way tie for 38th at three-over 147.

ASU sophomore Roger Furrer (75-77), freshman Janne Kaske (75-77), sophomore Mark Poulsen (80-77) and redshirt freshman Matt Dale (81-80) all played as individuals.

The Administaff ASU Invitational, now its in 28th year overall and in its second year of affiliation with Administaff, wraps up with a single round Sunday with tee times beginning at 9:00 a.m. on the Bluff (Nicklaus) and Palmer (Island) nines. Coastal, Minnesota and Clemson will be in the final pairing, with tee times beginning at 10:20 on the Bluff nine. The leaders are scheduled to hit the course at 10:52 a.m.

Third Round Tee Times (pdf)

Administaff Augusta State Invitational
Champions Retreat Golf Club
Evans, Ga.
Par 72 – 7,142 yards
April 1-2, 2006 

TEAM RESULTS

1  Coastal Carolina 				282 283 565 −11
2  Minnesota 					283 288 571 −5
3  Clemson 					284 289 573 −3
4  South Carolina−Aiken 			286 289 575 −1
T5 Mississippi, U. of 				291 287 578 +2
T5 UCLA 					292 286 578 +2
7  Augusta State 				293 286 579 +3
8  North Carolina State 			293 290 583 +7
9  Virginia Tech 				298 286 584 +8
10 Washington 					297 289 586 +10
11 East Tennessee St. 				295 295 590 +14
12 Notre Dame, U. of 				299 293 592 +16
13 Tennessee, Univ. of 				293 300 593 +17
14 Georgia Southern 				296 300 596 +20
15 Louisiana State U. 				301 300 601 +25 

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

T1  Scott Brown South Carolina−Aiken 		70 69 139 −5
T1  Dustin Johnson Coastal Carolina 		69 70 139 −5
3   Joachim Fourquet Coastal Carolina 		71 69 140 −4
T4  Erik Flores UCLA 				72 69 141 −3
T4  Cole Isban Notre Dame, U. of 		74 67 141 −3
T4  Josh Persons Minnesota 			68 73 141 −3
T7  Victor Almstrom Minnesota 			71 71 142 −2
T7  Dane Burkhart South Carolina−Aiken 		69 73 142 −2
T7  Tanner Ervin Clemson 			71 71 142 −2
T10 Larry Blatt Mississippi, U. of 		71 72 143 −1
T10 Zack Byrd Coastal Carolina 			74 69 143 −1
T10 Brian Duncan Clemson 			69 74 143 −1
T10 Daniel Im UCLA 				72 71 143 −1
T10 Jon David Kennedy Georgia Southern 		72 71 143 −1
T10 Stephen Poole Clemson 			72 71 143 −1
T10 Jerry Richardson North Carolina State 	69 74 143 −1
T17 Kevin Chappell UCLA 			71 73 144 E
T17 Bronson LaCassie Minnesota 			71 73 144 E
T17 Stephen Lewton North Carolina State 	75 69 144 E
T17 Erik Olson Washington 			72 72 144 E