HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Henderson State, the five-time Great American Conference Men’s Golf champions, emerged from Monday’s 36-hole marathon at the Hot Springs Country Club with a one-stroke advantage on Arkansas Tech and a six-shot lead against Southwestern Oklahoma State.
The Reddies, who entered the GAC Championships as the top-ranked team in the NCAA Division II Central Region rankings and as the No. 20 team in the country, posted a 1-under-par 287 in the opening round and backed it up with a even-par score in the second round. The No. 27 Wonder Boys tallied consecutive even-par rounds while the Bulldogs turned in rounds of 2-over 290 and 3-over 291.
2019 GAC Men's Golf Championship Day One Results || Photo Gallery
Four Reddies finished the day inside the top 10, paced by Trey DePriest. The Honorable Mention All-GAC selection carded a pair of sub-par rounds, a 1-under 71 and a and 2-under 70 to sit in second place. Kevin Boutier shot even par for the 36 holes to share fifth place while All-GAC First-Team pick Cameron McRae and Second-Team honoree recorded matching 1-over rounds to tie for seventh.
The Wonder Boys’ Andre Jacobs leads the individual competition after he turned in rounds of 3-under 69 and 2-under 70. His opening round featured a stretch four-straight birdies on the front nine and he finished the day with birdies on his final two holes to establish his two-stroke lead. Teammates Shawn Tsai, a Second-Team All-GAC pick, and Francois Jacobs ended Monday as part of the five-way tie for seventh at 1-over par.
Two from SWOSU – Honorable Mention honorees Gregor Weck and Kason Cook - finished Monday in the top five. Weck tallied a pair of birdies against one bogey in both rounds to shoot two 1-under 71s to sit in a tie for third place. Cook carded consecutive rounds of even par.
Southern Nazarene sits in fourth place after the two rounds. The Crimson Storm took advantage of the Arlington Course’s par-5s as they played the courses four par-5s in 14-under par, best amongst the 10 teams. Ondrej Melichar shot a first-round 71 and came back with a 74 in the second round to share seventh place.
Oklahoma Baptist led a pack of five schools by placing fifth. Only six shots separated the Bison from Southeastern Oklahoma State, Southern Arkansas, Harding and Arkansas-Monticello while Northwestern Oklahoma State rounded out the team standings. Two from Oklahoma Baptist – Dakota Clark and Payton Posada placed inside the top 20.
The Savage Storm’s Zach James, the two-time GAC Player of the Year, bounced back from an opening 2-over 74 to post the low round of the day, a 4-under 68, in the second round. He joined Weck in a tie for third place after he made a tournament-best 10 birdies.
Harding’s Ryan Camras, the GAC Freshman of the Year opened with a 1-under 71 en route to tying for 12
th.
The final round begins at 8 a.m. on Tuesday with competitors teeing off both No. 1 and No. 10.