Griffith Tied For Lead, UCO Fourth In Oak Tree Invitational

EDMOND (March 13) – Evan Griffith is tied for the individual lead and Central Oklahoma is fourth in the team standings after first-day play in the Oak Tree Invitational Monday at Oak Tree County Club.

Griffith fired a career-low 65 in the morning round before coming back with an afternoon 72 for a three-under 137 total for the first 36 holes, leaving him tied with Henderson State's Nathan Cossement.

The Bronchos are at 573 in the team race following rounds of 280-293 at the 7,116-yard, par-70 East Course. Henderson leads the 15-team field at 566, followed by West Texas A&M (569), Oklahoma Christian (571) and UCO.

Caleb Kimmel is tied for seventh in the standings after steady rounds of 71-70 for a one-over 141 total. Kyle Hickey shot 74-72, Bennett Baldwin 70-79 and Dylan Henderson 76-81 for the Bronchos, while Ross Taylor shot 74-77 competing as an individual medalist.

Griffith started play on No. 3 and birdied the par-4 fourth before giving that stroke back on the par-3 eighth to fall back to even after six holes. He got it going after that, birdieing five of his last 12 holes – Nos. 9, 10, 14, 18 and 2 – in finishing off the sensational five-under round.

The junior got to six-under for the day with a birdie on his second hole in the afternoon, but then bogeyed two straight. Griffith followed with eight straight pars and then birdied the par-4 16th to get back to even for the round before bogeying two of his last four holes for a 72.

Kimmel started his rounds on the first hole and was two-over at the turn in the morning. He birdied the par-3 11th and par-3 14th to get back to even-par, then bogeyed No. 16 in shooting an opening-round 71.

The junior made five straight pars to open the second round before bogeying No. 6. Kimmel got that back with a birdie on the par-4 seventh, then reeled off 11 consecutive pars to finish off the even-par round.

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Players Mentioned

Bennett Baldwin: Sophomore

Evan Griffith: Junior

Dylan Henderson: Sophomore

Kyle Hickey: Senior

Caleb Kimmel: Junior

Ross Taylor: Junior

Players Mentioned

Bennett Baldwin
: Sophomore

Evan Griffith
: Junior

Dylan Henderson
: Sophomore

Kyle Hickey
: Senior

Caleb Kimmel
: Junior

Ross Taylor
: Junior