Oklahoma Christian takes command at The Territory
DUNCAN, Okla. (Oct. 18, 2021) – Oklahoma Christian had four golfers in the top 10 and the Eagles took a slim lead in the team race on Monday after the opening day of The Hrnciar tournament at The Territory Golf and Country Club.
No. 11-ranked OC posted team rounds of 294 and 289 for a two-round score of 583, good for a two-shot lead over No. 18 Texas A&M-Commerce. No. 19 Midwestern State and tournament host Cameron were nine shots behind the Eagles, tied for third in the 10-team field.
OC has won the title in the tournament at The Territory each of the past four fall seasons. The Eagles own 75 team tournament titles in the program’s proud history, but they never have won the same tournament in five straight years.
The Eagles took the team lead Monday because of balance. Freshman Exequiel Rodriguez of Buenos Aires, Argentina (70-75) and sophomore Mateo Pulcini of Rio Cuarto, Argentina (75-70) were tied for fifth at 145 (1-over). In seventh place at 146 was freshman Santiago Villareal of Cordoba, Argentina, who posted a pair of 1-over-par 73s. Junior Alejandro Armijo of Rio Rancho, N.M. (76-71) was tied for eighth.
OC’s No. 5 player, senior Andres Brictson of Merida, Mexico, shot 78-75—153 and was tied for 26th in the 60-man field. He is the defending champion of The Hrnciar, having prevailed last year in a four-hole playoff.
Rodriguez had four birdies in each round, while Pulcini had five in his second round, including three in a row on the par-4 No. 10, the par-5 No. 11 and the par-4 No. 12 (a hole on which he recorded a double bogey in the first round). Armijo went without a birdie in the first round but had four in his second round.
OC led the field with 111 pars and went 8-under on the four par-5s on the 7,110-yard course, also tops in the field.
The Eagles have two players competing as individuals in the tournament. Freshman Oskari Nikku of Tuusula, Finland – making his collegiate debut – improved from 81 to 73 round-to-round and was tied for 31st at 154. He recorded four birdies in his second round. Sophomore Chase Gardner of Snohomish, Wash., was tied for 58th at 166 after posting a pair of 83s.
TAMUC’s Tripp Wallace was the individual leader at 137 (7-under), six shots ahead of second-place Jake Leatherwood of Midwestern State (Texas).
OC will be grouped with TAMUC and Midwestern State for Tuesday’s final round, which will begin at 8:30 a.m.