Tiger Golf Puts Together Strong Performance on First Day at Kiawah

Sunday, October 30

Kiawah Island, S.C.

University of Memphis

Kiawah Classic

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Tiger Golf Puts Together Strong Performance on First Day at Kiawah

Oct 30, 2016 | Men's Golf

Round 1 Results (.pdf)

KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. - The Memphis men's golf team has opened play in a big way at the East Bay Deli Classic at Kiawah,hosted by Charleston Southern on the par-72, 6,911-yard Turtle Point Golf Course - Jack Nicklaus Signature Course.

As a team, the Tigers finished the round at two strokes over par for a 290, which is third in the field of 22 teams. Memphis trails just Tennessee (285) and Augusta (288), and finished ahead of Lipscomb (294), 48th ranked College of Charleston (294), Winthrop (294), Campbell (296), Loyola-Maryland (297), Gardner-Webb (298), Jacksonville State (298), Coastal Carolina (298), Troy (300), Wofford (300), Rutgers (301), Nebraska (302), Charleston Southern (302), Francis Marion (304), Presbyterian (304), Maryland (305), Abilene Christian (306), Radford (306), and USC Upstate (323).

Leading the way for the Tigers was Chase Harris, who ended his round at a stroke under par that saw him stand in a tie for sixth place in the field. Harris was never at even par in the round, as he opened play with back-to-back birdies on the par-four 12th and par-five 13th hole. He followed with six consecutive pars before he bogeyed the par-five second hole. After two more pars, he birdied the par-five fifth hole and par-four sixth holes to drop him to three strokes under par. He followed with three more pars, before closing the round with back-to-back bogeys to put him at a stroke under par on the day.

Two other Tigers, Sydney Chung and Nick Giles, each shot an even-par 72, which are tied for 13th in the field. Chung was above par for the majority of the round, as he opened with four bogeys against just one birdie over his first nine holes. After a par to kick off the back nine, he recorded four straight birdies on the par-five second hole, the par-four third hole, the par-three fourth hole, and the par-five fifth hole. The string of birdies dropped his score to one stroke under par; until a bogey on the par-four sixth hole was followed with three straight pars to give him his even-par score.

Giles was over par for just one hole on the day, as he opened play on the 11th hole, and birdied the par-four 12th hole which he followed with eight consecutive pars. His first bogey of the day cam on the par-four third hole, and he had a birdie and bogey on back-to-back holes to remain at even par. After two straight pars a bogey on the par-four ninth hole put him a stroke over par, before he closed his round with a birdie on the par-five 10th hole, keeping him with an even-par 72 for the round.

Playing in his second tournament of the season, Eithel McGowen opened his round strong with a birdie on his first hole, the par-four 12th hole. Through his next 11 holes, he had a pair of birdies (the par-four 17th and the par-five second) and a pair of bogeys, keeping you at one stroke under par. His round stumbled at the end, with four bogeys over his final six holes, to finish the round with a three-over 75.

JC Campbell opened his round on the par-five 10th hole, and three straight pars. Two bogeys over the final six holes put him at two strokes over par at the turn. He followed with two bogeys and two double-bogeys on the pack nine, with his one and only birdie on the par-five fifth hole. Campbell's 79 has him tied for 84th in the field.

The Tigers return to action for the second of three days of competition, as Memphis will tee off with Tennessee, Augusta, and Lipscomb. The first tee times for the shotgun-start tournament is at 10 a.m., and will have Harris and Chung teeing off on the first hole, Giles on the second, and Campbell and McGowen on the third hole.