Western Kentucky was in in second place after two rounds at the 2019 Air Force Reserve Conference USA Men's Golf Championship, putting itself in position to reach the match play stage Tuesday.
The third-seeded Hilltoppers fired a two-round total of 579 (287-292) on Monday at the par-72, 6,935-yard Texarkana Country Club in Texarkana, Ark.
The opening-round 287 was the program's lowest single-round score in a conference tournament since 2008.
WKU led the field after that start, but finished the day four strokes behind No. 2 seed UTSA at 575. The Hilltoppers are one shot ahead of top-seeded UAB in third and two strokes ahead of Middle Tennessee in fourth.