Senior Mitch Sutton hits the ball off the fairway of hole No. 7 at Duke University Golf Club. Sutton finished tied for 61st in the Rod Myers Invitational with a score of 20-under Sunday, Oct. 14, 2012. Photo by Ryan Parry.
N.C. State men’s golf began its second-consecutive tournament in the Palmetto State Monday. It ended the first day of play in fourth place at the Hootie at Bulls Bay Golf Club in Awendaw, S.C. Play was stopped during the second round because of darkness.
The Wolfpack went into the competition off a third-place finish at the Palmetto Intercollegiate in Aiken, S.C. Three N.C. State golfers — junior Albin Choi, senior Mitch Sutton and freshman Chad Cox — finished the event in the top 20 of the individual leader board. Junior Logan Harrell finished tied for 27th individually with a score of 12-over.
Through nearly two rounds of competition and 36 holes, State finished at 18-over 594. Louisiana State is on top of the team leader board at 13-over. Duke and Missouri trail the Tigers at 14-over and 16-over respectively.
Other ACC schools participating in the event include North Carolina, Wake Forest, Clemson and Virginia. UNC currently sits in fifth place, one spot behind the Wolfpack, with a team score of 23-over.
In the individual competition, Choi sits atop the leader board of 75 competitors at 2-under 142. Choi hit birdies on three-consecutive holes in the second round to gain the top spot but fell into a tie with Mads Soegaard of Duke on a bogey. He swung his way back to the top after starting the first nine holes with a score of 4-over 39. Choi was tied for third through 18 holes at even-par 72.
The junior could win his fifth individual title of the season and ninth career victory if he is able to hold on to the top spot. He won the USF Invitational, Puerto Rico Classic, Warrior Wave Intercollegiate and Tar Heel Intercollegiate this season.
Sutton is tied for fourth on the individual board. He shot even par through 36 holes and has a score of 1-over 73. He also had five birdies in the afternoon.
Harrell is tied for sixth at 3-over 147. Cox and Carter Page are in ties for 71st and 74th at 17-over and 20-over, respectively.
Other individual top-10 performers from the ACC include Andy Sajevic and Michael McGowan of North Carolina, Austin Cody of Duke and Evan Beck of Wake Forest, all of whom are tied for sixth on the leader board.
The second round of competition will continue today at 7:30 a.m. The third round will begin 9:30-10 a.m.