Stillwater, Okla.—Bryson Nimmer stands in a tie for first place at five-under-par in the middle of the first round of the NCAA Men’s Golf Championship at Karsten Creek in Stillwater, Okla. The Tigers were in a tie for sixth place among the 30 teams at one-under-par when the horn sounded to stop play at 8:38 p.m. Central Time.
Fifteen of the 30 teams finished the first round on Friday as thunder and lightning stopped play for over three-and-a-half hours during the morning. Northwestern has the top team score at 8-under-par 280 and the Wildcats were one of the 15 teams to finish.
Oklahoma is in second place at five-under-par. Sooner players were on holes 15-18 when the horn sounded. Texas Tech, who is playing with Clemson, is four-under with players on holes 10-13. Host school Oklahoma State is at three-under with players on holes 15-18. Texas was in fifth place at the end of play at two-under-par with players on holes 9-13. Clemson is tied for sixth with Vanderbilt.
Nimmer is tied for the individual lead at five-under-par with Ivan Ramierez, Texas Tech’s No. 4 player, Shintaro Ban of UNLV, who had a tournament best nine birdies, and Ryan Lumsden of first-place Northwestern.
Nimmer made long putts for par saves on the first two holes, then birdied the third and fifth holes with short putts. He then birdied 8, 9 and 10 all with relatively short putts. He was one of just two players in the field to birdie those three holes consecutively. The 10th hole is the most difficult hole on the course with a 4.64 stroke average so far. The three-time All-ACC player from Bluffton, SC needed just one putt on seven of the 10 holes he played on Friday.
Sophomore Doc Redman made an eagle on the first hole from five feet, then made par on the last eight holes to finish the front nine at two-under-par. He is tied for 13th place at the moment.
Freshman Kyle Cottam shot a three-under-par 33 on the front nine, including a 25-foot birdie on the eighth hole. But he played the first three holes on the back nine in three over and stands at even par through 12.
Colby Patton made a double bogey on the first and 10th holes, but has played his other 11 at just two-over-par. He is six over through 13. Freshman Turk Pettit, Clemson’s top freshman in stroke average entering the tournament, struggled with the driver and is nine-over-par through 11 holes.
Clemson will return to the course at 7 a.m. Central time Saturday morning to finish its first round. Soon after Larry Penley’s Tigers will begin the second round, as Clemson was schedule to play late in the first round and early in the second.
