NICHOLASVILLE, Kent. – The Southwestern University Pirates men's golf team finished the first round of the NCAA Division III Championship in 12th place out of the 42-team field, finishing a collective 14 over par with a combined score of 302 at the Keene Trace Golf Club.
Matthew Christl paced the Pirates, scoring a 73 through the first 18 holes to finish one over par, tied for 20th place. Starting from the first hole, Christl birdied on the par-4 third hole to drop one under par but bogeyed on holes six and seven to finish the front nine one over. He broke even on the back nine, bogeying on the 11th hole and birdying on the 15th.
Teammate Cade Osgood finished two strokes behind at 75, tied for 41st along with Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Champion Colin Uecker, who is representing Texas Lutheran University as an individual competing.
Osgood started on fire, picking up two birdies on the front nine to offset a double bogey on the par-4, 377-yard seventh hole, and picked up an eagle on the par-5, 543-yard eighth hole to finish two under. He struggled on the back nine, however, triple bogeying on the 13th hole and bogeying on holes 15 and 18 to finish the first round three over.
John Kellum had three birdies but bogeyed six times to finish with a 76, shooting four over to finish in a tie for 60th. After a mostly pristine front nine, Devon Horne bogeyed, triple-bogeyed, and double-bogeyed on holes 14-16 to finish six over in a tie for 93rd. Sutherland Stith shot an 81, finishing in a tie for 140th with two double-bogeys and six doubles.
Illinois Wesleyan currently leads the field with a score of 287, led by Drew Pershing, who is tied for second on the individual leaderboard after scoring a 70. Williams College's Sam Goldenring sits atop the individual leaderboard, finishing three under with a 69.
Southwestern will resume play tomorrow at 11:50 a.m. on hole 10, paired with Otterbein University and Trinity College (CT).