Yuxin Lin leads USC to lead at Southern Highlands Collegiate
3/2/2020 | by AmateurGolf.com Staff
see also: View results for Southern Highlands Collegiate, Southern Highlands Golf Club
The Trojans lead by nine shots after the second round, thanks to a Masters-bound freshman
Lin, who won the Asia-Pacific Amateur for the second time last fall, is set to return to both the Masters and British Open. The USC freshman is 10 under, five shots ahead of Florida's Ricky Castillo, winner of two events already this spring. SMU's Mac Meissner is third at 4 under par.
Lin's USC Trojans will take a nine-shot lead into the final round. Texas remains in second place, led by Parker Coody who shot 68 in round two.
No. 1 Pepperdine made a charge on Monday, climbing into sixth on the strength of Sahith Theegala's 65, the low round in the tournament so far.
The individual winner of the Southern Highlands Collegiate will receive an exemption into the PGA Tour's Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in the fall. Last year, Jack Trent of UNLV won the tournament and went on to finish T29 at the Shriners.
DAY ONE REPORT
Yuxin Lin, a freshman from Beijing, China, shot a 5-under 67 to share the lead at the Southern Highlands Collegiate in Las Vegas.
Lin, who won the Asia-Pacific Amateur for the second time last fall, is headed for return trips to the Masters and British Open in 2020. On Sunday, he bogeyed his first hole of the day but went six under from there to lead USC to a five-shot lead after the first round.
Two of his teammates, junior Issei Tanabe and sophomore Cameron Henry, joined Lin in the top 10 for the Trojans.
Six players are tied for fourth at 1 under par.
Texas, coming off of a win at The Prestige in the California desert, sits in second place with UCLA another shot behind. Texas Tech and Georgia are tied for fourth, eight shots off of the lead.
No. 1 Pepperdine struggled in the first round, and is currently is 12th place out of the 15 teams.
VIDEO | @SRTheegala talks about this weekend's Southern Highlands Collegiate, the No. 1 ranking and the Waves' postseason hopes:#WavesUp pic.twitter.com/6emc879DrQ
— Pepperdine Men’s Golf (@PeppGolf) February 29, 2020
Results: Southern Highlands Collegiate
| Place | Player | Location | Pts | Scores |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plano, TX | 800 | 73-68-67=208 | |
| 2 | , China | 500 | 67-67-74=208 | |
| 3 | Ridgecrest, CA | 400 | 68-73-68=209 | |
| T4 | Chino Hills, CA | 400 | 76-65-69=210 | |
| T4 | San Antonio, TX | 400 | 71-69-70=210 |
About the Southern Highlands Collegiate
54 hole men's college tournament hosted by UNLV. Team (best four scores of five players each day) and individual competitions.
Most Popular Articles
2025 PGA TOUR Q-School Guide: Sites, Scores, and Who Advanced
Dec 5, 2025Second Stage is complete and Final Stage awaits at Sawgrass — follow every Q-School leaderboard and the players still chasing
2025 LPGA TOUR Q-Series: Final Qualifying Stage FINAL SCORING
Dec 8, 2025Helen Briem earns medalist honors, 31 players headed to the LPGA next year
Australian Open at Royal Melbourne: Preview, amateur bios, and how to watch
Nov 30, 2025Rory McIlroy headlines one of the championship's top fields in years - at least four amateurs will have their chance at glory
Luke Ringkamp Cruises to Rolex Tournament of Champions Title at TPC San Antonio
Nov 26, 2025One week after committing to Pepperdine, Luke Ringkamp won the Rolex Tournament of Champions by nine shots.
Inside Gil Hanse’s Restoration of Baltusrol’s Upper Course: A Return to Tillinghast’s
Dec 11, 2025Renowned architect Gil Hanse reveals how he brought Baltusrol’s Upper Course back to life by honoring A.W. Tillinghast’s original