Bowman's 72 helps Spartans to fifth after first round at SoCon

FLORENCE, S.C. – Will Bowman shot even-par 72 to lead UNC Greensboro in the opening round of the 73rd Southern Conference Men’s Golf Championship, being held this year at the Country Club of South Carolina.
 
As a team, the Spartans are tied for fifth following their opening round 293. Bowman is tied for 14th place and teammate Ryan Heisey is tied for 18th place. Bowman went out in 35, carding eight pars and a birdie on the front side. Consecutive birdies to open the back nine had him at three-under with seven holes to go, but bogeys on Nos. 15, 17 and 18 lead him with a 37 on the back.

Heisey got off to a red hot start, carding birdies on each of the first three holes. He was four-under after a birdie on the 588-yard sixth hole. However, bogeys on Nos. 9, 10 and 12 brought him back to one-under and he closed his round with bogeys on Nos. 16 and 18 for 40 on the back side and a 73 on the day.

With all five players shooting even par or better on the day, Chattanooga shot an 11-under par 277 to grab the first round lead. Georgia Southern’s Drew Lethem shot the low round of the day with a six-under par 66. The senior, who teed off on the 10th hole, put together a five-hole stretch of four birdies and an eagle from No. 17 through No. 3 to position himself atop the leaderboard.

Chattanooga, the two-time defending champion of the event, was led by Derek Rende with a 67 (-5) while Fredrik Qvicker and Stephan Jaeger each shot three-under par 69. Georgia Southern is one stroke behind Chattanooga at 278 (-10) as the Eagles’ top four scorers were all under par on the round.

Western Carolina and Furman (286) sit in a tie for third place following round one while College of Charleston (293) and UNC Greensboro (293) are tied for fifth and Elon (295) occupies seventh. Rounding out the field on Sunday were Davidson (299), Appalachian State (300), Samford (302) and Wofford (306).

Thirteen golfers finished under par for the round with the quintet of Chattanooga’s Qvicker and Jaeger, Western Carolina’s Ricky Stout and Tanner Briele and College of Charleston’s Tim Tang following Lethem and Rende at 67 (-3).

Monday’s second round gets underway at 8 am with tee times off of Nos. 1 and 10. The Spartans will be in the first wave of groups going off of No. 1 beginning at 8 am.

AGATE

TEAM SCORING: 1. Chattanooga 277; 2. Georgia Southern 278; t-3. Western Carolina 286; t-3. Furman 286; t-5. UNC Greensboro 293; t-5. College of Charleston 293; 7. Elon 295; 8. Davidson 299; 9. Appalachian State 300; 10. Samford 302; 11. Wofford 306

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

Top 10: 1. Drew Lethem (Georgia Southern) 66; 2. Derek Rende (Chattanooga) 67; t-3. Ricky Stout (Western Carolina) 69; t-3. Stephan Jaeger (Chattanooga) 69; t-3. Tanner Briele (Western Carolina) 69; t-3. Fredrik Qvicker (Chattanooga) 69; t-3. Tim Tang (College of Charleston) 69; t-8. Anthony Aloi (Furman) 70; t-8. Spencer Fulford (Georgia Southern) 70; t-10. Matt Broome (Furman) 71; t-10. Daniel Bowden (Furman) 71; t-10. Joe Monte (Georgia Southern) 71; t-10. Logan Blondell (Georgia Southern) 71.

Other UNCG Golfers: T-14. Will Bowman 72; T-18. Ryan Heisey 73; T-23. Will Almand 74; T-23. Kyle Sonday 74; T-46. Drew Younts 77.

- UNCG -