SWAINTON, NJ – North Carolina A&T started play in the 2025 Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Men's Golf Championships on Sunday.
Play began at the par 72, 7,274-yard Union League National Golf Course, with the Aggies posting a first-round 315. A&T is in 10th place after Sunday's play, 23 shots behind the Campbell Fighting Camels and the University of Delaware Blue Hens. Both teams are in the lead after shooting a 4-over 292. The College of Charleston Cougars are one shot off the lead after shooting a 293.
After a difficult front nine, A&T freshman Javier Morgado recovered nicely to shoot 35 on the back nine to shoot a first-round 76, placing 21st after Day 1. He trails the clubhouse leader, Campbell's Henric Bjelke, by 14 strokes after Bjelke's record-breaking day on the Union League course. Bjelke tied the course record with his first-round 65.
Bjelke holds the lead over second-place Casper Nerpin of UD, who shot a first-round 68. Charleston's Tim Bertenbreiter and Drexel's Griffin Mitchell are tied for third at 1-under 71.
Morgado bogeyed his final two holes of the front nine to finish with a 41. He made the turn at 10 and parred the first three holes. Morgado bogeyed the par 4 13th before rallying to have an excellent finish to his back nine. It started with a birdie on the 558-yard par 5 15th to move to 5-over for the round.
Two straight pars followed before Morgado returned to the red numbers with a birdie on the 530-yard par 5 18th, ending his round at 4-over. Freshman teammate Pedro Pereira is in a seven-way tie for 31st after shooting a first-round 79. After a double bogey and bogey on holes three and four, Pereira carded two straight pars before carding a birdie on the 495-yard par 4 seventh.
It would be his only birdie of the round as he finished the day as he finished his front nine with a bogey and par to shoot 39. He had six pars, two bogeys and a double bogey on his back nine to shoot 40.
Sophomore Camilo Marin and freshman Mauricio Alvarado are in a six-way tie for 38th. Marin ended his round with two straight birdies. He carded a three on the 340-yard par 4 17th before posting a four on the par 5 18th. Marin ended his day by shooting 80. Alvarado's 80 came on three birdies, four bogeys, two double bogeys, one triple bogey, and eight pars.
Alvarado parred the 443-yard par 4 fourth, the par 4 seventh, and the par 5 15th. Freshman Agib Hughes also hit the course for the Aggies on Sunday, shooting 83. Round 2 begins Monday at 8:30 a.m. when Hughes tees off.
