Men's Golf | 11/1/2025 11:29:00 PM
ST. HELENA ISLAND, SC – North Carolina A&T freshman men's golfer Emilio Hernandez shot a first-round 2-under 69 on Saturday during the first round of the Fripp Island Intercollegiate hosted by the USC Upstate on the par-71, 6,609-yard Fripp Island Resort golf course.
Hernandez is in fourth place after the first round, trailing leaders Keith Hunter from Central Michigan and Winston Kelenc-Blank from Lafayette. Both men shot a 5-under 66 to take the clubhouse lead headed into Saturday's second round. Hernandez is two shots behind Gardner-Webb's Jude Carper, who is in third place after a first-round 4-under 67.
A&T sophomore Javier Morgado also finished in the top five after Day 1. He is in a four-way tie for fifth after shooting a 1-under 70.
The Aggies are in seventh place after a first-round 7-over 291. A&T trails tournament-leader Gardner-Webb by eight strokes after the Runnin' Bulldogs shot a 1-under 283. They lead Lafayette by one stroke after an even-par 82 from the Leopards. Presbyterian rounded out the top three with a 3-over 287.
Hernandez's front nine on Saturday was epic. He birdied the first three holes on the front nine, including the par-5, 505-yard first, the par-4, 382-yard second, and the par-3, 168-yard third. After two straight pars, he went right back into birdie land by scoring a two on the par-3, 185-yard sixth and a three on the par-4, 409-yard seventh.
His day was a little up and down from there. He bogeyed No. 8 before securing two straight pars before bogeying No. 11. On the back nine, Hernandez also bogeyed holes 13 and 15, but he did end with another birdie as he carded a four on the par-5, 520-yard 18th.
Morgado's Round 1 started well, also. He birdied No. 1, secured two straight pars before birdieing the par-4, 298-yard fourth. After two more pars, he bogeyed No. 7 before ending the front nine with a birdie on the 510-yard, par-5 ninth. Morgado started the back nine with a birdie on the 454-yard par-4 10th. He ran into trouble with a double bogey on 13, and he also bogeyed No. 16. But he ended nicely with a birdie on 18.
Sophomores Pedro Pereira and Maurico Alvarado finished in an eight-way tie for 28th place after the first round. Both Aggies shot a 3-over 74. Alvarado played as an individual player; therefore, his scores will not count toward A&T's totals. Pereira carded two birdies during his first round. Alvarado recorded three birdies on Saturday.
Graduate Tyler Partee (79) and sophomore Ignacio Zapata (76) also played as individuals. Junior Camilo Marin (78) and graduate Drew Walker (79) also competed for A&T on Saturday. The nine teams will play Rounds 2 and 3 on Sunday and Monday, respectively.
