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HomeSportsAustin Peay State University Golf had difficult back nine at Tiger Invitational

Austin Peay State University Golf had difficult back nine at Tiger Invitational

Austin Peay State University Sports Information

APSU Men's GolfOpelika, AL – Against high winds and muddy conditions and some of the nation’s best programs, Austin Peay State University (APSU) men’s golf fought against a difficult back-nine on the first day of play at the Tiger Invitational presented by Jason Dufner, hosted by Auburn, at Grand National’s Lake Course, Sunday.

Austin Peay Men's Golf sits in 15th at Tiger Invitational. (APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay Men’s Golf sits in 15th at Tiger Invitational. (APSU Sports Information)

It was truly a tale of two nines for the Govs on Sunday. Junior Austin Lancaster shot two-under and sophomore Garrett Whitfield even-par on the front-nine, with the Govs at three-over going out as a team.

The back nine proved more difficult, with only Micah Knisley carding fewer than three bogey’s on the back.

Whitfield led the Govs into the clubhouse with a two-over 74 for the day, tying him for 21st. He led the Govs and tied for second overall with a 2.75 stroke average on par-3 holes; his birdie on the par-3 No. 8 was one of only three in the first round, on a hole that played second-toughest (plus-0.56) by average for the day.

Knisley and sophomore Chase Korte carded matching 76s in the first round, tying for 42nd. Korte was consistent, at 38 on both the front and back, while Knisely overcame a triple-bogey on the par-4 No. 2, shooting one-over the rest of the way. The freshman’s 14 pars were tied for third-most in the first round.

Lancaster started out on fire, sinking all four of his birdies over the first six holes, including the par-4, 428-yard No. 2 that yielded just six birdies on the day. He struggled on the back-nine and finished with an 81, tied for 70th with teammate Michael Busse. Both struggled on the par-3 No. 15, the course’s toughest hole of the day, which averaged a plus-0.80 mark; Lancaster carded a double-bogey and Busse a triple against Grand National’s toughest hole.

Round Two action begins for Austin Peay at 8:50am, Monday; the Govs will be paired with Western Kentucky and Lipscomb.

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