NINETY-SIX, S.C. – The High Point University men’s golf team shot a combined 305 in the first round of the Big South Championship to finish the day in eighth place out of nine teams at the Patriot Golf Club in Ninety-Six, S.C., on Monday. Junior Chase Wilson was HPU’s top scorer with a one-over 73.
“We struggled early in the round before leveling off a little bit in the middle,” head coach J.B. White said. “Unfortunately we are still not doing well late in rounds and we dropped a few strokes on the last couple holes. Chase did well to rebound from a bad start and fought back for a real nice 73. Someone told me before we left that golf is a funny game. Sometimes you shoot 76 and sometimes you shoot 66. Hopefully our 66s are out there tomorrow.”
Wilson got off to a rough start with a double-bogey on the first hole and was four over after seven but battled back with birdies on nine, 11 and 18 to finish in a tie for 20th after one round.
Freshman Charles Valluzzo is second on the team after carding a 76 which leaves him tied for 33rd. Senior Curtis Brotherton and freshman Sam Stewart turned in matching scores of 78 through 18 holes to tie for 36th while senior Thomas McLellan shot a 79 and is tied for 39th.
Liberty leads the standings after the first day with a combined score of 280. The Flames hold a five-stroke lead over both Charleston Southern and Coastal Carolina who are tied for second with matching scores of 285. Campbell currently sits in fourth with a score of 289 while Winthrop is in fifth with a score of 291.
Liberty’s Chase Marinell sits atop the individual leader board after shooting a five-under 67. Marinell leads by two strokes over a group of four players comprised of Campbell’s Vaita Guillaume, Liberty’s Robert Karlsson, Charleston Southern’s Ross Thompson and Coastal Carolina’s Charlie Winegardner.
The Panthers will return to the Patriot Golf Club on Tuesday, April 17, for the second round of the Big South Championship. Due to weather concerns later in the day, HPU will tee off from hole 10 beginning at 8:30 a.m., along with Radford and Presbyterian College.