Feb. 9, 2009
Day One Results
NEW ORLEANS, La. - The Kennesaw State men's golf team opened the spring season in the middle of the pack at the Mardi Gras Invitational Monday, finishing the day in eighth place after 36 holes on the 7,028-yard, par 72 TPC Louisiana golf course.
Sophomore Matthew Nagy once again played strong in the season opener, turning in one of only four under par rounds in the afternoon 18 to put himself in a tie for fifth. Nagy, who finished eighth in the Owls spring opener as a freshman, began the day with a 75 before closing with an impressive one-under par 71 to put himself just four strokes out of the individual lead.
The Owls as a team also improved in the afternoon session after the winds died down, trimming some shots from a first round 305 with an afternoon 301. Their 606 total has them seven strokes out of the top five and ten strokes behind third place West Florida.
Jeff Karlsson and J.P. Putnam finished the day just one stroke apart, coming in tied for 33rd and 37th respectively. Karlsson opened with a 76 before carding a 77 to close the day. Putnam came in at 77 in both rounds to finish with a 154 36-hole total. After shooting an uncharacteristic 83 in the morning 18, senior Michael Tulacz rebounded to turn in KSU's second-lowest round of the afternoon, a four-over par 76.
Playing in just his second event as an Owl, Chad Wilson finished the day tied for 46th at the home of the PGA Tour's Zurich Classic. The junior from Calhoun contributed a 77 in the opening round before falling back slightly with a second round 79.
The University of Southeastern Louisiana edged out the Owls Atlantic Sun Conference rival Mercer to finish the day with the team lead at 589. A pair of A-Sun players share the individual lead after Mercer's Ryan Blackburn and Campbell's Vaita Guillaume came in at 142.
The teams will tee off the final round at 8 a.m. CST. A complete recap of the action will be available on the Kennesaw State Athletics home page following the conclusion of play.
