Hill and Simpson Have #18/20 Vols in Contention at Puerto Rico Classic

Tuesday, February 10

Rio Grand, Puerto Rico

University of Tennessee

Puerto Rico Classic - Round 2

Photo by: Kate Luffman/Tennessee Athletics

Hill and Simpson Have #18/20 Vols in Contention at Puerto Rico Classic

February 10, 2026 | Men's Golf

Results

RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico – The No. 18/20 Tennessee men's golf team continued the Puerto Rico Classic on Tuesday with round two contested at Grand Reserve Golf Course.

The Vols bested their team score from Monday's first round, carding a 14-under-par round two to remain in fourth place among the 15 teams competing after round two.

While the team's position in the standings did not change between rounds, Tennessee now trails leading No. 1 Virginia by just nine strokes, with the Cavaliers at 35-under-par through 36 holes. The Vols also sit behind No. 2 LSU, at 30-under-par, and Ohio State, at 28-under-par, with 18 holes to play.

Tennessee was led on Tuesday by Josh Hill, who set a new career-best single-round score with a 6-under-par 66. After starting the day on hole No. 7, the senior lit up the back nine at Grand Reserve in round two, going 7-under-par in the stretch alone with five birdies and an eagle at hole No. 18. Hill utilized two birdies on the front nine to offset three bogeys and cap a career day. The Dubai native rose 29 spots up the individual standings in the second round, climbing to a tie for 14^th place at 7-under-par overall.

Lance Simpson remains squarely in the hunt for the individual title at the Puerto Rico Classic after a second consecutive round in the 60s on Tuesday. The Vols' star redshirt senior fired a 4-under-par 68 in round two, improving to 9-under-par ahead of tomorrow's third and final round. After tallying five birdies to just one bogey, Simpson sits tied for fifth place among the 85 golfer field, just two strokes behind the 36-hole individual leader.

Jackson Herrington also carded a solid round on Tuesday to help the Vols keep pace in the team championship race. The sophomore opened his day with a birdie on hole No. 5 and didn't look back, ending the round with four birdies and just one bogey. With a 3-under-par 69, Herrington climbs to a tie for 30^th place individually at 5-under-par.

Also in a tie for 30^th place is Luke Smith, who finished with a 1-under-par 71 after an up-and-down second round. The final countable score for Tennessee, Smith did just enough to offset four bogeys, closing the round with five birdies to improve to 5-under-par overall.

Competing as an individual, Bruce Murphy posted an even-par round of 72 on Tuesday to remain at 4-under-par overall and sit in a tie for 37^th place entering Wednesday's final round.

The Puerto Rico Classic will conclude on Wednesday, with a third-round shotgun start set to commence at 6:30 a.m. EST.

Puerto Rico Classic Standings (Round 2)
1. Virginia (-35)
2. LSU (-30)
3. Ohio State (-28)
4. Tennessee (-26)
5. Oklahoma (-24)
6. South Carolina (-22)
7. Iowa (-21)
8. Georgia (-20)
9. Marquette (-18)
10. Minnesota (-17)
T-11. Charleston (-14)
T-11. Louisville (-14)
13. Wisconsin (-11)
14. Purdue (-9)
15. North Florida (-6)

Tennessee Results (Round 2)
T-5. Lance Simpson: 67-68 = 135 (-9)
T-16. Josh Hill: 71-66 = 137 (-7)
T-30. Jackson Herrington: 70-69 = 139 (-5)
T-30. Luke Smith: 68-71 = 139 (-5)
T-37. Bruce Murphy (i): 68-72 = 140 (-4)
77. Reed Lotter: 71-76 = 147 (+3)