Men's Golf | 4/23/2023 11:37:00 PM
BEAUFORT, SC – North Carolina A&T sophomore Samuel Drew Walker shot an even-par 72 during the first round of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Men's Golf Conference Championship at the par-72, 6,998-yard Dataw Island – Morgan River/Cotton Dike course on Sunday. Walker is in a five-way tie for seventh place as play in the second round begins Tuesday.
Walker is four shots off behind tournament leader Patrick Sparks of UNC Wilmington, who fired off a 4-under 68 in Round 1. Drexel's Brockton English is in second place after a first-round 3-under 69. College of Charleston's Kieron van Wyk enters the second round in third place with a 2-under 70. There is a three-way tie for fourth place. The trio is one stroke better than the five-way tie for seventh.
As a team, A&T is in seventh place after shooting a 14-over 302. The Aggies are 17 shots off the lead behind first-round leader Drexel at 3-under 285. UNCW is four shots off the lead at 1-over 289, and Charleston rounds out the top-3 at 3-over 291.
Walker started his day with five straight pars before carding his first birdie on the par-3, 202-yard sixth. He went to 2-under after scoring a four on the par-5, 568-yard eighth. Walker made the turn at 2-under before an unfortunate double bogey on the par-4 11th.
Walker collected himself and put together a string of four straight pars before moving back into the red with a two on the par-3 187-yard 16th. It looked as if Walker was headed closer toward the leader as his final was a par-5, 558-yard 18th. But Walker bogeyed the hole to slide to even par. Walker has played eight straight rounds even par or better, extending his school record.
Carson Witherspoon is two shots behind his teammate, Walker, after shooting a 2-over 74. Witherspoon is in a four-way tie for 15th. Like Walker, Witherspoon opened the day with five straight pars. But he bogeyed the sixth before bogeying the seventh. But he did get his first birdie with a four on par-5 eighth.
Before making the turn, Witherspoon bogeyed the par-4 ninth, and after the turn, he bogeyed the par-4 10th. Witherspoon increased his score to 4-over with a bogey on the par-3 12th before finishing the day strong. He carded birdies on the par-5, 553-yard 13th and the par-4, 466-yard 14th to move to 2-over. Witherspoon stayed there by closing his round with four straight pars.
Graduate Diego Gonzalez did not card any birdies on Sunday but stayed steady throughout his round. Gonzalez is in a five-way tie for 19th by shooting a 3-over 75. He carded a consistent 16 pars, having his card marred by a double bogey and a bogey.
Freshman Conrado Chozas shot an 82, and Martin Gutierrez shot a 90 on Sunday. The championships continue on Tuesday, with the first group starting at 8:30 a.m. and the final group starting at 11:50 a.m.
