All five Deacons shoot par or better in the same round for the first time since 2003
Oct. 12, 2012
18-Hole Results
By Gary Petit (@GaryWFU), Wake Forest Athletic Communications
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - All five members of the Wake Forest men's golf team shot par or better on Friday as the Demon Deacons opened the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate at the Blackthorn Club with a 3-under 285.
Wake Forest is tied for fourth with Missouri after the first round. The Deacs got off to a slow start on the front nine but made a total of 12 birdies and one eagle as a team on the back nine to post their third under-par round of the season.
"We just didn't get it going on the front nine but I'm proud of the way the guys came in today," said Wake Forest head coach Jerry Haas. "John (Varol) was a couple over at the turn and came home even. Charlie (Harrison) made a triple but still shot 1-under and Evan (Beck) played his last 11 holes at 4-under par. We were just one really good round away from a low number but I think we're in good shape heading into the weekend."
Friday marked the first time since the opening round of the Cleveland Golf/Augusta St. Invitational on April 5, 2003, that all five counting members of the team shot even-par or better in the same round.
Senior Evan Beck made two bogeys and five pars in his first seven holes and stood at 2-over par. He then birdied the par-5 eighth which jumped started his round. Beck would play the final 11 holes with four birdies and no bogeys to post a 2-under 70. Beck will start Saturday in a tie for fourth.
Fellow senior Charlie Harrison had a solid start to his round with seven-straight pars. But a triple-bogey eight on the par-5 eighth set him back to 3-over par. Harrison then birdied Nos. 10 and 13 and eagled the par-5 14th to get back to even-par for the day. He then birdied the par-4 18th to finish with a 1-under 71. He'll start the second round tied for 12th.
The other three members of the Demon Deacons scorers on Friday all shot even-par rounds of 72. Junior Thomas Birdsey countered five bogeys with five birdies while freshman Davis Womble negated his four bogeys with four birdies. Junior John Varol was 2-over par at the turn and then made two birdies and seven pars coming home.
Freshman Grayson Murray, playing as an individual this week, made a total of five birdies on Friday and would card a 2-under 70. That was Murray's first under-par round of his career. He's in an eight-way tie with Beck in fourth place.
Junior Beau Cutts is also playing as an individual and opened with a 3-over 75.
Tennessee and Memphis both carded opening rounds of 8-under 280 and are tied for the first round lead. Individually, Tennessee's Rick Lamb and Memphis' Grant Milner each made six birdies and one bogey on Friday to share the opening round lead at 5-under par.
Wake Forest is in the second-to-last wave on Saturday morning beginning at 11 a.m. The Deacons are paired with Missouri and host East Tennessee State. Golfstat.com will have live scoring of the final two rounds.
# Indicates individual player
