Western Kentucky redshirt junior Nic Hofman held a two-stroke lead to help the Hilltoppers lead by 15 strokes after two rounds at the Xavier Invitational on Monday in Cincinnati.

Western Kentucky’s men’s golf team is having their best showing of the fall season in the Xavier Invitational in Cincinnati.

Through the first two rounds, the squad is currently at the top of the leaderboard. The Tops will be looking to capitalize for their final round Tuesday and get their first tournament win of the fall.

“Proud of the boys,” WKU coach Austin King said in a news release. “The big thing will be sticking to the game plan of the golf course, committing to that and everyone continuing to trust their games. They did a good job today of not forcing anything and letting things happen.

“… I think all of the birdies in the afternoon were a testament to the discipline and patience we’ve been preaching. This is a good team, and it was great to come out today and looking forward to seeing what more they can do tomorrow.”

Hilltopper Nic Hofman is first overall after two rounds in Cincy. Hofman showed consistency through his first two rounds, scoring a 2-under par 68 in the first and improving on that by one stroke scoring a 3-under 67 in the second. Hofman got as low as 3-under in his second round.

A pair of Hilltoppers are currently in a tie for eighth overall. Stephen Warren and Connery Meyer both hold a 1-over 141 total score heading into the final round.

Luke Fuller is in the top 15 for the Hilltoppers as well, tying for 12th. Fuller improved on his first round, fighting his way back from 3-over to get back to an even-70 score. Fuller had a five-spot improvement between rounds one and two.

In his first-ever collegiate tournament appearance, Gage Doyle is tied for 64th heading into the final round of play. Doyle currently holds an 18-over 158 total.

The Tops currently lead the field in three different stats including par 4s, par 5s and birdies.

The Tops will play their final round of the fall season Tuesday morning with a 9 a.m. tee time.

Full leaderboard and results

Results – Team Rounds 1 and 2

1. WKU (E)

2. Xavier (+14)

3. Oakland (+19)

4. Morehead State (+29)

5. St. John’s (+31)

Results–Individual Rounds 1 and 2

1. Nic Hofman, WKU — 68,67 (-5)

2. AJ Adams, Xavier — 67, 70 (-3)

3. Olivier Menard, West Virginia* ‘- 70, 68 (-2)

4. Robert Burns, Oakland — 68, 71 (-1)

T5. Mason Witt, Xavier* — 74, 66 (E)

Results– WKU Rounds 1 and 2

1. Nic Hofman — 68,67 (-5)

T8th. Stephen Warren — 73, 68 (+1)

T8th. Connery Meyer — 72, 69 (+1)

12th. Luke Fuller — 73, 70 (+3)

T64th. Gage Doyle — 78, 80 (+18)