Razorbacks at top of leaderboard

Led by sophomore Ethan Tracy, three Arkansas Razorback men’s golfers shot under par on the first day of the Battle at the Beach in Newport Coast, Calif., to place the Razorbacks in a tie for first among a stacked 14-team field.

With four teams still on the course, including Oregon State who through 15 holes matched Arkansas’ six-under par first round score, the Razorbacks got sub-par scores from Tracy (-4), Austin Cook (-1) and David Lingmerth (-1) while Dalton Owens and Jamie Marshall each shot even par.

Tracy got off to a solid start with a birdie on the first hole of the course, and then repeated the performance four more times over the first eight holes before shooting a bogey on the par-four ninth hole. Tracy would shoot even par on the back nine to finish with his four-under score which places the Hilliard, Ohio, native in a tie for second place.

Lingmerth’s round was as steady as they come as he hit par on 15 of 18 holes, birdied No. 1 and No. 18, and was tabbed with a bogey on seven. Lingmerth and teammate Austin Cook are each in a tie for 13th however Cook’s road to one under was filled with ups and downs. Opening his round with a birdie on the par five first, Cook went to even par on the fifth with a bogey, but placed himself one under again two holes later on the par four seventh. Cook moved to two-under par after the 13th hole, but back-to-back bogeys on 14 and 15 put him back at even par. Cook finished strong with a birdie on 18.

Owens’ round saw him struggle out of the gates with a double bogey, but five birdies and two bogeys later and the senior had himself even par. Marshall shot an even-par round with four birdies and four bogeys. Josh Eure wrapped up the Razorback players with a round of eight over par.

The Razorbacks continue competition at the Battle at the Beach on Monday morning with the second of three rounds on the Ocean North Course at the Pelican Hill Golf Club. Competition ends on Tuesday with the final 18 holes of the 54-hole tournament.