ETSU sixth at suspended Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate
JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. – First-round play at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate at Blackthorn Club was suspended due to heavy rain that hit the Tri-Cities region on Friday morning/afternoon. Play will resume Saturday at 8:45 a.m.
After playing through scattered showers in the morning, heavier rain picked up after lunch, forcing the opening round to be suspended around 2 p.m. Following a one-hour delay, the tournament committee sent the teams home as the rain never let up and conditions worsened.
Prior to the stoppage of play, the 31st-ranked ETSU men’s golf team was on the back nine and playing a solid round. The Buccaneers finished the day in second-place at 6-under-par and sit one shot back of No. 12 Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons also hold the top spot on the individual leaderboard as Will Zalatoris is at 4-under-par through 13 holes.
ETSU was led by Chris Hickman on Friday as the Buccaneer junior enters Saturday tied for second at 3-under. Hickman, who began the day with an eagle on the opening hole, wrapped up play on No. 13 when play was suspended. Hickman’s eagle marked the second in a four-hole span for the Buccaneer as he registered his first collegiate eagle in Tuesday’s final round at the Wolfpack Intercollegiate.
Hickman wasn’t the only ETSU golfer to card an eagle on Friday, as senior Rhys Pugh holed a 163-yard shot on No. 11, moving him into a tie for fourth at 2-under for the round. Pugh posted three birdies on the front nine, but also had a bogey and a double-bogey on his scorecard.
Meanwhile, junior Adrian Meronk – who had two birdies and a bogey on the front nine – is tied for 11th (1-under) through 11, and sophomore Mateusz Gradecki is tied for 20th (even-par) through 13.
Freshman Cayman Ratliff, one of two ETSU’s individual golfers on the course, birdied two of his first five holes and is tied for fourth at 2-under through five.
Coastal Carolina, Furman and Army were the first groups out on Friday and they finished before play was suspended. Coastal Carolina led the group by putting up a 2-under-par 286. Andrew Dorn, from Coastal Carolina, fired a 3-under 69, while Linus Lilliedahl of Missouri finished at 2-under 70.
Furman 13th at Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate
JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. – First-round play at the at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate at the par-72, 7,147-yard Blackthorn Club was suspended Friday due to heavy rain in the area. Play is scheduled to resume Saturday at 8:45 a.m., with second-round play following the conclusion of round one.
Furman (+9) completed the round of play and is in 13th place in the team standings after notching a 297 in the first round. Paladin junior Wehman Hopke (E) recorded a team-high five birdies on day to shoot an even 72 and tie for 20th place, while junior Preston Heyward (+1) carded two birdies on the front and one on the back to finish Friday’s round 1-over-par and tied for 40th place.
Sophomore Bryce Howell (+3) recorded consecutive birdies on No. 4 and No. 5 then birdied No. 11 to tie for 64th with a 75 in opening-round action, and junior Preston Cole (+5) and freshman Hunter Nichols (+5) enter Saturday’s second round tied for 75th after each scored a 77 on Friday.