USC
2011 NCAA Championships
No. 17 USC Starts Slowly At NCAA Championships
May 31, 2011 | Men's Golf
May 31, 2011
(Half the field is still finishing play as of this posting.)
Freshman Jeffrey Kang fired an even 72 to highlight an uneven opening round of stroke play for No. 17 USC on the first day of the 2011 NCAA Men's Golf Championships on Tuesday (May 31), at Karsten Creek in Stillwater, Okla.
The top eight teams after 54 holes of stroke play will advance to a three-day match play tournament for the NCAA title. USC is looking up at the top eight after a 15-over 303 first round left them tied for 18th with Arizona State. The Trojans, 11 back of eighth-place and host Oklahoma State and 20 off the lead, began play with Arkansas and California at 7 a.m. and the USC quintet posted a collective four birdies and one bogey on the first hole. But that was as low as Troy's score would get in the first round.
"Today definitely qualifies as a slow start," said USC fifth-year head coach Chris Zambri, who has guided the Trojans into the NCAA final five straight years, including into the match play quarterfinals in 2009. "We will be fine though as long as we start playing better. This is a very tough golf course, which makes it perfect for making up ground. We are looking forward to the next two rounds."
Kang finished within shouting distance of the top of the individual leader board after his par 72, tied for 19th. He was 1-over going out with birdies on 1 and 4 and a bogey on 5 and a double bogey on 9. He also bogeyed 10 to drop to 2-over but got back to even with birdies on 11 and 17.
Sophomore Martin Trainer, who entered the NCAAs with a streak of four straight top 7s, posted five birdies against eight bogeys during a 3-over 75 round, tied for 64th. He was 1-over through 9 and got back to even with a birdie on 12, but needed a birdie on 18 to end a streak of four consecutive bogeys between 14 and 17.
Junior Steve Lim and sophomore T.J. Vogel each finished at 6-over 78, tied for 108th. Lim struggled mainly on the front 9 at 5-over, including a rough patch of bogeys (including one double) between the fifth and eighth holes. He evened out on the back 9, finishing it at 1-over. Vogel was 2-over going out and 4-over coming in with birdies on 1 and 12.
Sophomore Sam Smith, among USC's top golfers this spring, won't bother saving his scorecard from the opening round. He finished at 18-over 90 despite four birdies.
USC again tees off with the Razorbacks and Golden Bears in the second round, beginning at 12:20 pm CDT.
Players Mentioned
