BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Yannick Schütz carded a 1-over-par 73 for the low opening-round score turned in by the University of South Alabama men's golf team Monday on the first day of play at the Shoal Creek Invitational hosted by Alabama-Birmingham.
The junior was just outside of the top 20 in the individual standings following the first 18 holes, with second-round play suspended due to thunderstorms at the Shoal Creek Country Club. Rasmus Karlsson supplied a 75 as the Jaguars were tied for 11th in the team standings with a 304 score.
North Florida took a one-shot lead over Georgia Southern in the opening round after posting a 4-under-par 284 total aided by a 6-under-par 66 from Travis Trace, who was atop the individual leaderboard following the first 18 holes of the event.
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Event (host): Shoal Creek Invitational (Alabama-Birmingham)
Date: 9/24
Course: Shoal Creek Country Club (par 72, 7,300 yds)
Live scoring: http://results.golfstat.com/public/leaderboards/gsnav.cfm?pg=participants&tid=16260
TEAM SCORES
1) North Florida 284 (-4); 2) Georgia Southern 285; T3) Texas A&M 288; T3) Kennesaw State 288; T3) Ole Miss 288; 6) Kansas 289; T7) Alabama-Birmingham 292; T7) Vanderbilt 292; 9) Liberty 298; 10) Louisiana Tech 299; T11) South Alabama 304; T11) Lipscomb 304; 13) High Point 305; 14) Samford 315.
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
1) Travis Trace, UNF 66 (-6); 2) Steven Fisk, GS 68; T3) Jake Fendt, KSU 69; T3) Charlie Hillier, KU 69; T5) seven individuals with 70.
SOUTH ALABAMA SCORES
T22) Yannick Schütz 73 (+1); T35) Rasmus Karlsson 75; T64) Brooks Rabren 78; T64) Kyle Robinson 78; T69) Peter Staalbo 79; T81) Jordan Plunkett* 82.
*denotes competed as an individual
TEE SHOTS
-The tournament field includes 14 teams and 87 individuals.
-Just 15 players broke par over the opening 18 holes.
-Schütz carded a team-best three birdies with two on his first four holes of the morning before posting a four at No. 3, which was playing at 530 yards.
-Karlsson and Robinson each had their lone birdies of the first round on the front side of the course, with the former recording a two at the 190-yard fifth and the latter on No. 3.
-Rabren — making his season debut — birdied Nos. 11 and 15 to make the turn at 1 over.
THEY SAID IT
Head coach Ben Hannan
On the Jaguars' opening round performance: "The golf course is in very good shape but the fairways are narrow, you have to keep the ball in front of you. We just struggled off the tee and put ourselves in some positions where it made the golf course very difficult, and in doing so we obviously struggled to score in the first round."
On Yannick Schütz: "With the way the golf course is set up you have to keep the ball in front of you, certainly that plays into Yannick's hands. He played his long irons well today and gave himself a lot of opportunities, from looking at the card he played the par fives well."
On how the team can move up the standings on the final day of play: "First, we have to close the last four to six holes well to end the second round with a competitive score, then continue to plod along. The greens are perfect, but the golf course is very difficult so par is a good score and last week showed that if they get it going these guys are capable of playing well on a difficult course. But it starts with the shot in front of you and hitting the fairway, that really sets up this golf course."
Up next: Play will resume at 8 a.m. Tuesday, with the first-day pairings remaining the same so that action in the third round can begin upon completion of the second 18 holes.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
Join the Birdie Club — the men's golf specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. All donations to the Birdie Club go directly to support the South Alabama men's golf program. For more information on how you can join visit: jaguarathleticfund.com/birdieclub.
—USA—
