East Carolina University
Conference USA Championships
ECU Tied For Fourth At C-USA Championships
April 24, 2011 | Men's Golf
April 24, 2011
TEXARKANA, Ark. --- East Carolina carded a one-over 289 Sunday to finish tied for fourth place following round one of the 2011 Conference USA Men's Golf Championships at the par 72, 6,935-yard Texarkana Country Club under warm and partly sunny conditions.
With four top 20 individual finishes, SMU took an early three-stroke lead over second-place Memphis. The Mustangs shot 10-under 278 to hold the lead after 18 holes of competition. The Tigers carded a seven-under 281 to complete the round alone in second-place followed by Houston in third-place at even-par 288 with ECU and Tulsa tied for fourth at one-over. UAB and Southern Miss finished tied for sixth at three-over 291.
ECU junior David Watkins fired a three-under 69 to finish the opening round tied for fourth-place, two shots behind SMU's Max Buckley and Memphis' Jonathan Fly who each shot five-under 67. SMU's Kelly Kraft is in third-place at four-under 68.
Watkins began the day by shooting one-over on the back nine before rallying to shoot four-under 32 on the front nine. Watkins recorded three birdies, two bogeys and one double bogey on his first nine holes before posting a birdie on No. 1 followed by an eagle on No. 2 to move to two-under par. He pared each of the next six holes before closing out the round with a birdie on No. 9.
Junior Harold Varner is five strokes behind the leaders tied for 17th at even-par. Varner bogeyed four holes but balanced out with four birdies. Jake Colley and Adam Stephenson completed the first round two strokes behind Varner at two-over 74, tied for 27th.
Conner Sock shot a four-over 76 to finished round one tied for 42nd. Sock shot four-over on the back nine but gathered his composure and pared the front.
Due to a forecast of inclement weather, Monday's second-round action has moved up to begin at 9 a.m. EDT. East Carolina, Tulsa and UAB will start at No. 1 beginning at 9 a.m.
SMU, Memphis and Houston and will play together, starting at 9:50 a.m. off hole No. 1. Rice and UTEP will be paired together for round two at 9 a.m. on No. 10. Southern Miss, Marshall and UCF will be matched for tee times starting at 9:50 a.m.
Tuesday's final round tees off at 9 a.m. The winner of the C-USA Championship receives an automatic berth to the NCAA Regionals.
