SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Matthew Comegys and Ludvig Aberg both birdied the 17th hole, helping Texas Tech into a tie for fourth place, two shots off the lead after Friday’s first round of the NCAA championship golf tournament.
Comegys finished 2-under-par 68, and Aberg signed for a 1-under 69. Jack Wall (72) and Tyran Snyders (73) had the other two counting scores on the Red Raiders’ 2-over 282. They’re tied with North Carolina and Vanderbilt after 18 holes at Grayhawk Golf Club.
Georgia Tech leads the 30-team field at even par, and Pepperdine and Arkansas are tied for second, one stroke back.
Georgia Tech’s Ross Steelman played a six-birdie, no-bogey round to take a two-shot lead with a 6-under 64. Three players shot 66: Cole Sherwood from Vanderbilt, Matthew Watkins from New Mexico and Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira from Arkansas .
The field is cut to 15 teams plus the nine lowest-scoring individuals not on those teams after Sunday’s third round. The individual NCAA champion is determined on Memorial Day by the 72-hole score. Then the 15 teams are cut to eight for the match-play bracket competition starting Tuesday.
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This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech tied for fourth after first round of golf’s NCAA championship tournament