March 15, 2013
STATESBORO, Ga. – The University of Notre Dame men’s golf team ushered in the 2013 season Friday at the E-Z-GO Schenkel Invitational, firing a team total of 297 to close day one in 11th place.
The Irish enter day two a mere five shots out of fifth place, a position shared by UAB and Vanderbilt after each squad fired matching scores of 292 (+4) during the first round of play.
Notre Dame junior Niall Platt turned in the Irish round of the day, carding an even-par 72 off the 10th tee on the Forest Heights Country Club layout. Platt did not register a bogey in his final 12 holes, birdieing the par 5 18th and par 3 6th holes to go along with 10 pars to close his round.
Junior Andrew Lane and sophomore Tyler Wingo were the next two Notre Dame players on the scoreboard, firing matching two-over par 74s to tie for 30th place. Both players finished their opening rounds with four birdies apiece, with Lane shaving three strokes off his final five holes to come in at 36 (even par) on his back nine.
Senior Paul McNamara III made birdie on two of the four Forest Heights par five’s, ultimately turning in a five-over par 77 to finish the round in a tie for 69th. Sophomore Peyton Vitter rounded out the Irish starting lineup with an 86.
Making his first spring career start as an unattached competitor, freshman Cory Sciupider played his final 11 holes in even par to card a four-over 76 (T-55th).
Texas utilized a pair of 68s by Brandon Stone and Kramer Hickok to take the overall team lead with an eight-under par, 280. Alabama closed two shots back (282, -6), while Florida (285, -3), UCF (291, +3) and UAB and Vanderbilt rounded out the top five.
Alabama’s Justin Thomas made six birdies to just one bogey in his opening 18, logging a 67 (-5) to take the overnight individual lead by one stroke over Stone, Hickok, Vanderbilt’s Charlie Ewing and UCF’s Jose Joia (68, -4).
The second round of the E-Z-GO Schenkel Invitational is scheduled to begin Saturday at 9 a.m. at Forest Heights Country Club.
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