KERRVILLE, Tx. — It was an impressive opening round of the Southland Conference Championship for the Augusta men’s golf team as they lead by five shots after the first of three rounds. The Jaguars were the only team to register an under par score for the day. Augusta’s Bo Blanchard II was lights out shooting a 66 to lead on the individual front. At stake, the automatic qualifier for the NCAA regionals.
TEAM STANDINGS
1. Augusta -3
2. East Texas A&M +2
3. Incarnate Word +7
4. UTRGV +9
5. Lamar +10
5. Francis Marion +10
5. Houston Christian +10
8. Stephen F. Austin +15
9. New Orleans +17
9. SE Louisiana +17
11. Nicholls +18
Blanchard was the big story for the Jaguars. He birdied the first hole but then had a bogey on number four. He bounced back with a birdie on five, but then had another bogey. Blanchard quickly put that behind him with an eagle on the par-5 ninth hole. He kept that momentum going on the back nine with five more birdies and just a single bogey for a six-under total score.
He has a four shot lead over his teammate, Pieter Rossouw Jr. Rossouw birdied three of his first five holes on the day and finished with two more on the back nine. He did have three bogies, but still signed for a two-under 70.
Stefan Jacobs shot a 74 on Monday as he birdied three holes on the front nine. Jacobs did add one more birdie, but had six bogies for his final tally. That score is good enough for 14th place.
Chapman Barnett had the other counting score for Augusta. Barnett and Dean Wilken both shot 75 to start play.
Augusta golfers will tee off in the last groups of the day again on Tuesday with the first tee time coming after 2 p.m. EST.