Posted: May 14, 2019
TLU's Colin Uecker posts 75 in first round of NCAA DIII Men's Golf Championships
(photo by Mark Mahan)
Individual Leaderboard
NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. -- Texas Lutheran senior Colin Uecker is in a tie for 41st after a round-one score of 75 Tuesday in the opening round of the 2019 NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championships.
At Keene Trace Golf Club, Uecker was 1-over through the first nine holes with birdies at No. 2 and No. 7 and bogeys at No. 1, No. 3 and No. 5.
Uecker, the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Champion, got his score back to even with his second birdie of the back nine. He recorded a three on the par-4, 380-yard 13th hole.
After a bogey at the par-4 14th, Uecker notched his fifth birdie of the round on the par-5, 523-yard 17th and moved into the Top 20 with a score of even par.
The par-4 18th caused Uecker problems. He posted a triple bogey on the home hole. He finished 2-over on the back nine and 3-over for the day.
Uecker is six shots behind first-round leader Sam Goldenring of Williams College (Mass.). Goldenring posted a 3-under 69. He leads a group of four golfers by one shot.
Illinois Wesleyan is the first-round leader in the team race. The Titans registered a team round of 1-under 287 to hold a one-stroke lead over Concordia Texas.
TLU is not in the national championship tournament as a team. Fellow SCAC school Southwestern is playing at the championships. The Pirates are 12th in the 42-team tournament after an opening-round of 302.
After 36 holes of competition, the field will be cut to the top 18 teams and the top six individuals not on one of those teams. A round of 18 holes is scheduled for each day. The tournament goes through Friday.
A total of 216 participants are competing at the 2019 championships.
Uecker was one of six individuals (not already qualifying with a team) that received an invitation to the national championship tournament.