NORMAN, Okla. – The Auburn men's golf team opened NCAA Tournament play with 8-under, 280 to position itself inside the top three following Monday's round of action at the Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club.
"We are a very young team but extremely talented and skilled. Our guys played with a sense of maturity today, and I'm extremely proud of them. We need to get the putters rolling to have a chance to compete for a championship. It's exciting to continue to watch them grow as young men and players."
Auburn was led by none other than sophomore J.M. Butler, who shot the low round of the day with a 66 (-6). He was aided by five birdies on the back nine, four of which came in his final five holes.
The Louisville, Kentucky product's opening frame 66 is tied for the second lowest round in Jimmie Austin history. Butler's total stands tied with five others, including Jordan Spieth in 2012.
Butler's score also marked his team-leading 13th round in the 60s this season. Of his 28 rounds on the year, he has produced 21 at par or better.
Freshman Brendan Valdes recorded the next lowest round on behalf of the Tigers with a 69 (-3). Valdes was aided by five birdies on his opening nine and his second career eagle on hole 13.
Austin, Texas native Evan Vo continued to be a steady hand for the Tigers as he 72 (E) on the day. The freshman birdied and bogeyed just once, shooting even par on 16 of 18 holes.
Vo leads the 2022 roster with six rounds at par this season.
Following tightly behind, junior Alex Vogelsong and sophomore Carson Bacha both shot 1-over 73 on Monday. Both men enter Tuesday tied for 30th on the individual leaderboard.
After 18 holes, the home team and No. 1 seed Oklahoma leads at 11-under. Southeastern Conference foe South Carolina is in second place a stroke back from the Sooners, and both Auburn and Utah are tied for third at 8-under. Texas sits in the final cutoff position at 282 (-6).
The Tigers have a seven-stroke advantage on the dreaded sixth place position.
For Tuesday's competition, Auburn will be paired with No. 1 seed Oklahoma and No. 4 seed South Carolina, teeing off at 8 a.m. CT on hole one.
NCAA Regional rounds two and three will continue to be covered via GolfStat.
| Placement | Golfer | R1 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | J.M. Butler | 66 (-6) | 66 (-6) |
| T5 | Brendan Valdes | 69 (-3) | 69 (-3) |
| T23 | Evan Vo | 72 (E) | 72 (E) |
| T30 | Alex Vogelsong | 73 (+1) | 73 (+1) |
| T30 | Carson Bacha | 73 (+1) | 73 (+1) |
| T3 | TEAM | 280 (-8) | 280 (-8) |