Results
DADE CITY, Fla. – Eckerd College men's golf senior
Greg Reilly carded a total of four birdies on the links while posting a 71 (-1) through the first round of the Sunshine State Conference Championship on Sunday.
The Tritons took advantage of the early tee-times and afternoon winds for the most part proved to be ineffective. Eckerd is tied with Rollins College in sixth after both teams fired a 297 on the par-72, 7,072-yard layout.
As one of five seniors on the roster, including three in head coach
Bill Buttner's starting five this weekend, Reilly's steady consistency was key in the first 18 holes.
He needed just 29 putts to finish his round and left himself with no putt longer than 10 feet -- a testament to his precision marksmanship on approach shots sticking near the pin. Reilly is just three shots out of the lead and tied with seven other competitors for fifth in the field.
"I felt comfortable out there," Reilly said. "I was hitting it pretty straight today and gave myself a lot of good looks. I made a few of them, but I could have made a few more."
Reilly bounced back from a bogey to start the day on the first hole with birdies on No. 3 and No. 9 before making the turn. After making another birdie on the 11th hole, he answered a bogey with another birdie coming into the clubhouse on No. 17.
Following an unpredictable situation that unfolded in Miami at the Buccaneer Invitational and ended with the team's withdrawal to close the regular season, the men's and women's teams were surprised with the unveiling of a new team vehicle on Friday before departing for Dade City.
"We just approached it like we have any other tournament this year," Reilly said. "We tried to put Miami behind us."
Another senior,
Jeff Evanier, quietly made birdie in two of his first four holes during the morning and made the turn with his third birdie on No. 9. His back nine closed him out at 3-over par as he eventually finished with a 74 (+2) on the day.
Evanier is tied for 21st in the field after making a serious run for medalist contention during the 2013 SSC Championship.
One year removed from shooting a blistering 69 (-3) in the opening round of the conference tournament, sophomore
Jake Solomon looked to be on the same track after scoring an eagle on No. 2 on a par-5.
Solomon bounced back from a rough patch to close the front nine to string together eight consecutive pars on the back before closing the day with a bogey.
Tied with Solomon in 30th is senior
Bobby Taggart, who scattered a pair of birdies on the front and ended his day strong with a birdie on the par-4 18th. Sophomore
Johan Nordahl finished with an 80 during the first day and is tied for 38th.
Two heavy hitters in the top of the field, Barry University and Lynn University, are tied for the team lead with a 282 (-6) with Saint Leo University close behind just two strokes back. Four players are tied at 4-under par (68) for the individual lead.
The Tritons will begin the second round tee-times tomorrow morning at 8:15 a.m. off the 10th tee in 10-minute intervals.
