MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Paced by Marc-Etienne Bussieres' 1-under-par 71, the University of South Alabama men's golf led at the end of the first round Monday at the sixth annual Memphis Intercollegiate.
Second-round play was suspended with a couple of holes remaining, and will be concluded when action begins at 8 a.m. Tuesday. The final 18 holes will follow starting at 9 a.m. to conclude the event.
Bussieres led a group of four Jaguars who were among the top 20 in the 90-player field at the end of the first round. Chris Bockstael was tied for fourth with a 74, McLain Leberte posted a 75 and was tied for 11th and Chris Piumelli was tied for 20th one stroke behind Leberte.
With a 296 team total, the Jags were the only squad to shoot below 300 at the par-72, 7,259-yard Colonial Country Club South Course. Southern Mississippi and Xavier were tied for second with a 301, with UALR (304) and Iowa State (305) rounding out the top five - 16 teams are competing in the tournament.
"When you tee it up at the start of the day, all you can hope for is a chance to be in it on the back nine," said Jaguar head coach Ben Hannan. "Our performance today, the way everyone contributed, shows that we have talent on this team. It's a hard golf course and it was extremely cold when we began, but everybody was fighting out there."
Bussieres, teeing off on the fourth hole, opened the event with a bogey, but bounced back with birdies on Nos. 5 and 7. He was 2-over par at the 14th after a string of three bogeys in seven holes, but got the strokes back by birdying the 15th, 16th and first. He would record fours on three of the four par five holes in the first round.
Bussieres had a one-stroke lead over Xavier's Aaron Siekmann after 18 holes.
Bockstael carded three birdies in his first 18 holes, with threes on Nos. 9 and 11 as well as a four on the first hole. Leberte, making his collegiate debut , had a birdie on the 425-yard, par four 10th, with Piumelli birdying No. 1 to end a string of five bogeys in seven holes.
Jack Hiluta was tied for 72nd after shooting an 82 in the first round, with Blake Kelley - competing as an individual - 89th after beginning the day with an 87.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
-USA-
Memphis Intercollegiate
Colonial Country Club South Course, Memphis, Tenn.
Par 72, 7,259 yards
Team Scores: 1) South Alabama 296 (+8); T2) Southern Mississippi 301; T2) Xavier 301; 4) UALR 302; 5) Iowa State 304; 6) Mississippi State 307; T7) Arkansas State 309; T7) Denver 309; T7) Louisville 309; T7) Maryland 309; 11) Memphis 312; T12) Louisiana Tech 314; T12) Penn State 314; T12) Wisconsin 314; T15) Louisiana-Lafayette 316; T15) Ohio State 316.
Individual Leaders: 1) Marc-Etienne Bussieres, USA 71 (-1); 2) Aaron Siekmann, XU 72; 3) Wes Carter, USM 73; T4) Chris Bockstael, USA; Dylan Raines, UALR; Robi Calvesbert, MSU; Troy Anderson, DU; Karsten Clements, UofL; Jeff Hall, UM and Andrew Noto, ULL 74.
South Alabama Scores: T2) Marc-Etienne Bussieres 71 (-1); T4) Chris Bockstael 74; T11) McLain Leberte 75; T20) Chris Piumelli 76; T72) Jack Hiluta 82; 89) Blake Kelley* 87.
*denotes competing as an individual
