UCO Sixth After First Day Of National Tourney

All Five Players Shot 72 or better as Bronchos Posted a 281 Total

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. – Jordan Wilson fired a 2-under-par 69 to spearhead a solid opening-day effort by Central Oklahoma at the NCAA Division II Men's Golf National Championships Tuesday.

The No. 16-ranked Bronchos carded a 3-under 281 at the rugged 7,419-yard, par-71 Orange County National Golf Center, leaving them sixth in the 20-team field. No. 5 Colorado Christian and No. 6 Oklahoma Christian are tied for the lead at 277, with No. 4 Grand Valley State and No. 9 West Florida tied for third at 279.

Second-round play in the three-day, 54-hole stroke play portion of the tournament begins at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, with UCO's players set to go off in the first wave. The top eight teams after 54 holes advance to match play to decide the national champion.

All five Central players shot 72 or better in the first round. Wilson's 69 led the way, while Bennett Baldwin shot 70, Nick Canales and Baylor Bostick 71 and Kyle Hickey 72.

"It was a solid day of golf for us," head coach Derrick Thompson said. "Our guys were really consistent and they didn't make any big mistakes. We've put ourselves in a good position, but have to follow it up with two more good rounds."

Wilson was a picture of consistency to start his round, reeling off nine straight pars to make the turn at even-par 35. He ran that streak to 13 pars in a row before posting back-to-back birdies on the par-5 14th and 235-yard, par-3 15th.

The junior standout followed with another par and then got to 3-under with a birdie on the par-5 17th. Wilson finished with a bogey on No. 18, a 458-yard, par-4, to post a back-nine 34 for his third straight round in the 60s.

Baldwin started slow with a bogey on No. 1, but got that stroke back by birdieing the par-4 third. He followed with four pars, then bogeyed No. 8 and parred No. 9 in making the turn at 1-over 36.

The junior made another bogey on No. 10 and responded by playing the final eight holes 3-under. Baldwin carded three consecutive pars, dropped in an eagle putt on the par-5 14th and a birdie putt on the par-3 15th before finishing with three more pars for a back nine 34.

Canales started the day with a bogey on the 481-yard par-4 first hole, but bounced back quickly with birdies on the par-4 third and par-4 fourth. He bogeyed No. 8 to drop back to even par, then birdied the par-4 ninth to make the turn at 1-under 34.

The redshirt freshman was steady on the back nine, carding eight pars against a bogey on the par-3 13th in coming back with a 1-over 37.

Bostick dropped a shot on the second hole before getting that back with a birdie on the par-5 fourth. He bogeyed two of the next four holes, but birdied the par-4 ninth to make the turn at one-over 36.

The freshman fell to 2-over with a bogey on the par-3 13th, but got birdies on both par-5s – Nos. 14 and 17 – and parred the other three holes coming in to close out a 1-under 35 on the back nine.

Hickey fired a 1-under 34 on the front nine with birdies on Nos. 3 and 8 against a bogey on the par-4 fifth. The senior bogeyed two of the first three holes on the back side to fall to one-over before finishing with six straight pars in closing out his 72.

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Players Mentioned

Bennett Baldwin: Junior

Kyle Hickey: Senior

Baylor Bostick: 6' 4"; Freshman

Nick Canales: 5' 9"; Redshirt Freshman

Jordan Wilson: 5' 8"; Junior

Players Mentioned

Bennett Baldwin
: Junior

Kyle Hickey
: Senior

Baylor Bostick
: 6' 4"; Freshman

Nick Canales
: 5' 9"; Redshirt Freshman

Jordan Wilson
: 5' 8"; Junior