MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Behind a balanced effort among the Redbird golfers, ISU closed the first day of the Myrtle Beach Golf Trips Intercollegiate in eighth place and is within five strokes of the team lead with 36 holes to play in the tournament.
The Redbirds got a four-under 68 from reigning MVC Freshman of the Year Sam Ottwell, while newcomers Gabriele Bravin and Rayden Tee finished under par with rounds of 69 and 71, respectively.
ISU's opening round team score of 281 is tied for the 49th-lowest single-round score in school history and has the Redbirds in contention for the top of the standings. Elon paced the field with an opening-round 276, while UTSA (277), Campbell (278), Lipscomb (279), Jacksonville State (280), Jacksonville (280), and Coastal Carolina (280) are just ahead of ISU. Stetson (282), Kennesaw State (282), Florida Atlantic (285), Winthrop (288), East Carolina (288), Appalachian State (289), UNCW (293), and North Alabama (295) round out the 16 schools in the tournament field.
The Redbirds will start playing on Monday morning at 6 a.m. (CT), golfing alongside Jacksonville State and Stetson. Cobo Delgado goes off the first hole at 6 a.m. followed by Max Faucquez (6:09 a.m.), Tee (6:18 a.m.), Bravin (6:27 a.m.), and Ottwell (6:36 a.m.), with individual Gonzalo Cuellar going off of the 10th tee at 8:06 a.m.
Ottwell is tied for sixth individually behind is opening round, which saw eight birdies – the second-most in the tournament – and seven pars for his four-under effort. Ottwell's -4 on par-five holes is tied for the lowest score in the field, Bravin, a transfer, had six birdies and nine pars for his three-under 69, which has tied him for 14th.
Tee, in his first collegiate tournament, finished with a one-under 71, and is tied for 28th with two rounds to play. He was steady throughout his opening 18 holes, with three birdies and 14 pars – the sixth-most pars over the opening round of anyone in the field. Max Faucquez was the team's final scoring member of the round for the Redbirds, and he had a one-over 73, and is tied for 53rd. He had three birdies and one of the first rounds' six eagles on the par-five 13th hole.
Fernando Cobo Delgado was the team's fifth golfer in the round, as he had two birdies and 13 pars over his first collegiate round, and is tied for 78. Gonzalo Cuellar – playing as an individual – finished with three birdies, three bogeys, and a dozen pars for his opening-round 72, and his aggregate score (-3) on par five holes is tied for the fourth lowest in the field through the opening round.
