Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Lead after First Round of NCAA Golf Championships
June 21, 1999 | Cowboy Golf
June 3, 1999
CHASKA, Minn. - For the second straight year, Oklahoma State finds itself atop the leaderboard after one round of the NCAA Men's Golf Championship. Now, the Cowboys will try to stay there.
Led by Charles Howell's 1-under-par 71 and Peter Davidson's even-par round, the eighth-ranked Cowboys carded a solid 1-over-par score to lead second-place Georgia, the top-ranked team in the country, by three strokes.
The Cowboys also led the 1998 championship after one round. However, although OSU broke the previous NCAA scoring record, the Cowboys finished fourth, nine strokes behind champion UNLV. Last year marked the first time OSU had held an opening-round lead since 1980, when the Cowboys went wire-to-wire in winning the fourth of their eight national titles.
"Everyone knows that the most important thing is to hold the lead after the final day," said OSU coach Mike Holder. "I think the best experience we could have had was at the Big 12 Championship [where OSU finished fourth, its lowest finish ever in a conference tournament]. We played at the Big 12 Championships like we were protecting something. We learned a lot from that experience."
Playing in his first NCAA Tournament, Davidson was the star Wednesday, carding his first even-par round since Oct. 20. The sophomore, who had missed much of the season with a broken finger, is tied for 13th place; Howell is tied for seventh, one of only 12 players to break par in the opening round despite ideal playing conditions. Chris Wisler of East Tennessee State took a two-shot lead in the individual race with an opening-round 68.
Howell and the Cowboys hope their season-opening tournament proves to ba an important omen: OSU's only victory this season came in its first competition of the season, the Ping-Golfweek Preview, played at this same Hazeltine National Golf Club. Howell took individual medalist honors, the only title of his career.
Freshman Anders Hultman, also playing in his first NCAA tourney, carded a 1-over 73, as did junior teammate Landry Mahan, to tie for 22nd after 18 holes. Junior Edward Loar suffered a quintuple bogey on the 16th hold and stands in 140th place with an 82.
The 30-team field will be pared to 15 teams after Thursday's second round. OSU is playing in its 53rd consecutive NCAA Tournament, the longest such streak in the country Clemson is second with 18 straight appearances.
NCAA Men's Golf Championships
Hazeltine National Golf Club, Par 72 (7,196 yards)
Day 1 Results Team Standings (par 288)
1. Oklahoma State 289 (+1)
2. Georgia 292 (+4)
3T. Clemson 293 (+5)
BYU 293
5. North Carolina 294 (+6)
6. UNLV 295 (+7)
7. Northwestern 296 (+8)
8T. Houston 297 (+9)
Florida 297
Arizona St. 297
11T. E. Tennessee St. 298 (+10)
Arkansas 298
13. Ole Miss 299 (+11)
14. Oregon 300 (+12)
15. Nebraska 301 (+13)
16T. Arizona 303 (+15)
Minnesota 303
Illinois 303
19. Kansas 305 (+17)
20T. Washington 307 (+19)
California 307
Augusta St. 307
23T. San Diego St. 308 (+20)
Toledo308
South Carolina 308
26. Colorado St. 309 (+21)
27. Duke 311 (+23)
28. Georgia Tech 314 (+26)
29. Colorado 315 (+27)
30. Richmond 318 (+30)
Top Individuals (par 72):
1. Chris Wisler(E. Tenn St.) 68
2. Jamie Elson(Augusta St.) 70
Don Hill(NC) 70
Max Harris(NC) 70
Ryan Vermeer(KU) 70
Jamie Rogers(Neb) 70
7. Charles Howell (Okla St.) 71
Bill Thompson (Minn.) 71
Craig Lile(Ark.) 71
Charley Hoffman (UNLV) 71
Jeremy Anderson (UNLV) 71
Ryan Lavoie(Ore) 71
T13. Peter Davidson (Okla St.) 72
T22. Anders Hultman (Okla St.) 73
T22. Landry Mahan(Okla St.) 73
T140.Edward Loar(Okla St.) 82
