Freshman Duo Pacing WVU in Florida

Freshman Duo Pacing WVU in Florida

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (March 11, 2016) – The freshman duo of Max Sear and Tristan Nicholls is leading the way for the West Virginia University golf team after the first round of the Seminole Intercollegiate at Southwood Golf Club in Tallahassee, Florida, on Friday.

The Mountaineers finished the first 18 holes with a team score of 297. They sit in 12th place with two rounds to go. James Madison sits atop the team leaderboard at six under with a score of 282, while Jacksonville’s 284 was good for second at four under. No. 4 Florida State, Troy and East Tennessee State are tied for third at three under par with scores of 285.

“We were really close to putting together a decent round,” said WVU coach Sean Covich. “We played solid the first part of the day but, unfortunately, we left a lot of shots out there, especially on the closing holes.”

Sear and Nicholls each shot a 72 to finish even par for WVU. Sear birdied three on the front nine and a pair on the back nine, while Nicholls birded three holes and recorded an eagle on the back nine. The two are tied for 27th place on the individual leaderboard.

“It was good to see true freshmen Max Sear and Tristan Nicholls lead the team today,” said Covich. “When you’re starting a program from scratch, that’s certainly a positive when talking about building a foundation for the future.”

Chris Williams finished four over par at 76. He carded a birdie on the front nine and added two more on the back nine to end the round in 56th place.

Easton Renwick and Alan Cooke tied for 66th, each shooting a 77 to finish the round five over par. Renwick birdied the first hole, but struggled on the back nine. Cooke overcame some struggles on the front nine to birdie the eighth hole and register an eagle on the eleventh hole.

The tournament will tee off at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday for the second round of play.

SOURCE: WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY SPORTS