Eklund, Clarke Pace Wildcats after Round One
Feb 23, 2020 | Men's Golf
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Jacob Eklund (4) and George Clarke (5) combined for nine birdies on their way to each shooting 2-under par 70s to lead K-State in the first round of the Dorado Beach Collegiate on the Sugarcane Course at TPC Dorado Beach. K-State was seventh in the 15 team field after shooting 3-under 285 on the par-72, 7,112 yard course.
Eklund and Clarke found themselves in a tie for 15th, just two strokes out of fifth place, thanks in part to K-State's exceptional scoring on par 3s. The Wildcats led the tournament in par-3 scoring through the first 18 holes (3.0), including Clarke who led all individuals by averaging 2.5 strokes per par-3 with birdies on No. 8 near the start of his round and No. 4 in the final stretch. K-State's 3-under 285 was its second-best round in relation to par this season.
"Overall it was a solid day for us," head coach Grant Robbins said. "We got off to a pretty good start, struggled a bit with some big numbers in the middle of the round but did a great job finishing. We made a few mistakes, but I'm really proud of how the guys bounced back and didn't let the bad shots carry over."
Sophomore Will Hopkins finished two strokes behind Eklund and Clarke and in a tie for 33rd after shooting even-par 72, including an eagle on No. 6 to close the round. Hopkins birdied three straight and four of six to start the round but ran into a bit of trouble before the final rally, one of two eagles on the day for the Wildcats. Freshman Riccardo Leo finished the first round tied for 48th, shooting 1-over par 73, while senior Ben Fernandez shot 4-over par 76 and in a tie for 85th, but eagled Hole 12. Kyle Vance, who is competing as an individual, finished even-par 72 and tied for 33rd.
"As a team we made 21 birdies and two eagles so we are right there with how we are playing," Robbins said. "We just have to clean up some things and play another strong round tomorrow."
No. 21 Louisville topped the field after round one, shooting a 19-under 269 for a seven-stroke cushion ahead of second-place Kansas (276). The Cardinals' John Murphy was tied for 1st at 7-under par 65.
Play will continue with the second round Monday with hole-by-hole live scoring of the Dorado Beach Collegiate on golfstat.com.
Players Mentioned
