Jack Nicklaus Award Semifinalists Announcement
HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, Fla. – No. 15/15 Carson-Newman carded its second-highest round score of the season with a 308 to hold a share of 12th by the end of the first round at the NCAA South/Southeast Regional on Thursday at the El Campeon Golf Course.
The Eagles were 20-over through the first 18 holes of play with no one shooting in the red. Jackson Tyler (Wilmington, N.C.) came the closest to shooting under par with a two-under day. C-N sits 23 shots out of the lead heading into the second round.
"Poor start for the Eagles today," Carson-Newman coach Randy Wylie said. "Jackson Tyler played a solid round. We all know that we can play better and we expect to do so tomorrow so we can get back in contention for an NCAA Finals spot."
Tyler's 74 matches his third-best opening round score of the season, landing him in a tie for 20th. The sophomore carded a birdie out the gate on the par-5 10th hole before following it with a bogey. He tacked on a birdie, bogey and double bogey in the back nine of the course to sit at two-over heading into the turn. The latter part of his day saw a pair of birdies and bogeys, helping him stay at two-over.
He sits just five shots back of the lead heading into the Friday. Tyler was even on par-4 scoring while going two-under on par-5 scoring with a 4.50 average, tying him for the seventh-best performance in the field for both categories. His six birdies were also good enough for the fourth-highest total.
Two shots behind Tyler is Jake Mynatt (Knoxville, Tenn.) tied for 38th. The freshman was even heading into the turn on a double-bogey and two birdies. He added on four-bogeys in the back-half of his day for a 76 total. His 11 par shots were the most of the team.
Tied for 59th is Jake Headrick (Maryville, Tenn.) with a 78 in the first round. The senior carded two birdies, both in the first nine holes he played. He added on a trio of bogeys to sit at one-over as he made his way to the front half of the course. There he shot for bogey on five holes, four of those coming on par-4 holes, to head into the clubhouse at six-over.
Tom Forster (Northamptonshire, England), the program's first Jack Nicklaus Award semifinalist since Andrew Hall in 2016, as announced by the Golf Coaches' Association of America on Thursday, shot an opening round 80, landing him in a tie for 81st.
For the first time since 2016, @cnmensgolf has a Jack Nicklaus Award semifinalist.
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) May 9, 2019
Give it up for @tomforster88. ���� ����
Division II finalists will be announced on May 15. pic.twitter.com/mySeX6DyAf
He opened his day with a bogey on the 10th hole before a three-hole sequence of bogey, birdie and bogey placed him at two-over. The front nine of the course brought struggles with just one par hole and a birdie on the par-4 ninth hole. He shot for bogey on the other seven holes, pushing him to eight-over.
Rounding out the Eagles on the leaderboard through Thursday was Will Collins (Knoxville, Tenn.) in a tie for 89th. The freshman was four-over through the back-nine of the course on a pair of bogeys and a double-bogey on the par-5 17th. He was one-shot higher in his final nine holes with four bogeys, a double-bogey and a birdie on his second-to-last hole of the day to go nine-over.
No. 10/10 Lincoln Memorial leads the way through Thursday at three-under while No. 2/2 Lynn and No. 3 West Florida sit in a tie for second with an even 288.
A three-way tie tops the player leaderboard. USC Aiken's August Lindvall and LMU's Sam Broadhurst and Dan Bradbury all shot a three-under 69 in the opening round.
The regional rolls on Friday with another round of play. Carson-Newman will take to the links beginning at 7:30 a.m. Fans can follow live scoring throughout the day via Golfstat.
