Individual Scores Team/Individual Scores
DELHI, LA- The Millsaps Majors men's golf team is tied for sixth, but just three shots back after day one of the Mississippi College Invite at Black Bear Golf Club.
Chris Patton and Garrett Barnes each fired an eight-over 80 to find themselves in a tie for fifth in the individual portion of the invitational. Barnes played a steady round on Monday, rating 8th in par-4 scoring, 10th in par-5 scoring and drained seven birdies.
"After our qualifying at home, I was very impressed with Garrett's recent play" coach Eddie Brescher noted after the round. "We knew Garrett was on the verge of some good golf and he stepped up for his team today. In the past year, Garrett has grown so much as a player and it showed in today's round."
As a team, the Majors were paced by Patton and Barnes stellar rounds but were very consistent top to bottom. Ryan Henry fired an 85 (T-34) making eight pars , Lewis Peters an 86 (T-43) and Drew Richardson a 93 (68). Patton excelled on the par-3s placing sixth in overall scoring but he dominated the par-5s leading the field in par-5 scoring.
"Chris is such a steady player. Being the team captain, he understands when he needs to step up and play some good golf for his teammates and he did just that today," Brescher said. "He is one of the hardest workers in college golf and that hard work is starting to pay off in tournaments."
The Majors shot a team score of 331, just three shots back of day-one leaders McMurray University and Texas-Dallas who each shot 328.
"We expected high winds and tough scoring conditions leading into todays round, but todays weather was some of the most difficult I have seen in college golf," coach Eddie Brescher said after the round. "This was a direct relation to the scoring for all players in the field today. We have been qualifying and practicing in some rough weather back home, so our guys were prepared for some tough conditions. With greens rolling eleven on the stimp meter and winds steady 25 plus miles per hour, it was an extremly tough day of golf."
The Majors will tee it up again tomorrow at Black Bear for the final round of the MC Invite. The weather in Delhi is expect to be in the low 60s with a 20 mph wind.
"Even with the tough conditions today, we are still in this tournament. Being only three shots out of first in a college tournament can easliy be made up in one round. Our guys are mentally tough and prepared for this situation, so we fully expect to step up as a team and perform well in tomorrows final round," a confident Brescher said.
