WAYZATA, Minn. – The opening round of the 2008-09 season went well for the Pepperdine men’s golf team, as the Waves shot a 3-over 291 to move into third place at the Gopher Invitational, hosted by Minnesota.
Two more rounds will be played, one each on Saturday and Sunday (Sept. 13-14), at the par-72 Spring Hill Golf Club.
Pepperdine’s score of 291 is nine strokes behind Texas (282) and seven strokes behind LSU (284).
Sophomore Austyn Karle (Scottsdale, Ariz./Notre Dame Prep) led the Waves with a 1-under 71, putting him into a tie for sixth place. He’s joined in the top 10 by junior Carl Smith (Laguna Beach, Calif./Santa Margarita HS), who shot an even-par 72 and is tied for ninth.
Sophomore Andrew Putnam (University Place, Wash./Life Christian Academy), a returning All-American, is in a tie for 14th after a 1-over 73. Redshirt freshman Josh Anderson’s (Temecula, Calif./Murrieta Valley HS) collegiate debut resulted in a 75, putting him in a tie for 29th. Junior Jorge Mazario (Madrid, Spain) is tied for 57th after an 81.
“I thought the first round was great,” Pepperdine Coach John Geiberger said. “It was great for Austyn to come out with an under-par round on an extremely tough course. There was great support from everybody. Carl and Josh both had solid rounds. Andrew was right there. The good news is that after the first day, we’re in the ballgame, and that’s important, especially for a younger team. I’m looking forward to the next two days.”
Anderson had the most birdies on the day for Pepperdine with five and was one off the tournament lead. Putnam had four, Karle and Smith each had three and Mazario had two.
Team Scores: 1. Texas 282; 2. LSU 284; 3. Pepperdine 291; 4. Washington 292; T5. Marquette 298; T5. Minnesota 298; 7. Iowa 299; 8. Wisconsin 304; 9. Arkansas 305; 10. Yale 307; T11. Iowa State 311; T11. SMU 311.
Top Individuals: 1. Charlie Holland (Texas) 67; 2. John Peterson (LSU) 68; T3. Donald Constable (Texas) 70; T3. Tom McCarthy (Yale) 70; T3. Sang Yi (LSU) 70.
Pepperdine Scores: T6. Austyn Karle 71; T9. Carl Smith 72; T14. Andrew Putnam 73; T29. Josh Anderson 75; T57. Jorge Mazario 81.
