The Oklahoma State Cowboys are the defending national champions in men’s golf. They’ll play from behind after the first round.
The Cowboys, one of the favorites coming into the NCAA Championships, shot a 7-over par score as a team, putting them well of the pace at the top of the leaderboard at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif.
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The Cowboys won their championship at the course last year and know it well. But only one OSU player finished at par as the entire team struggled in the first round. They are tied for 20th out of 30 teams after the first 18 holes.
The good news is that Oklahoma State has plenty of time to make up for the first round based on the format of the tournament. The Cowboys only need to finish among the Top 15 teams after the first three rounds of stroke play to make the first cut. Then, after the final round of stroke play, they need to be among the Top 8. After that, the Top 8 teams play in match play for the national championship.
OSU has two rounds to play themselves back into the Top 15 at the 54-hole mark.
Oklahoma State After First Round
Eric Lee – 72 (even)
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Preston Stout – 73 (1-over)
Gaven Lane – 72 (2-over)
Ethan Fang – 76 (4-over)
Filip Fahlberg-Johnsson – 78 (6-over)
Lee ended up with the best round of the day for the Cowboys, as he put a first-hole bogey behind him and parred the next 12 holes before he suffered another bogey on No. 14. He bounced back and birdied back-to-back holes on Nos. 15-16 to position himself to finish even par.
Stout, the Big 12 champion and player of the year, had two double-bogeys, including one on a front-nine par-5. He also had a bogey but took back four of those shots on birdies to minimize the damage from the two double bogeys.
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Lane went out in 39 as he finished with three bogeys and no birdies on the front nine. He stabilized himself on the back nine, as he finished with one birdie and eight pars to stay two shots away from par.
Fang had a rough day on both sides of the course. He went out in 39 with three bogeys and no birdies like Lane. Then, on the back nine, he posted four bogeys and three birdies.
Fahlberg-Johnsson was the only other Cowboy, besides Stout, who posted a birdie before he posted a bogey. He birdied No. 2 and then posted bogeys on five of the final six holes of the front nine. On the back he posted two bogeys and no birdies.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/oklahomastate as Oklahoma State Golf in Unfamiliar Territory After NCAA Championships First Round.
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