ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – No. 8 Auburn men's golf carded a 9-under 271 Wednesday to open the 2023 SEC Championship at Sea Island Golf Club on St. Simons Island, Georgia.
Auburn saw below-par outings from four of five players, including a bogey-free 66 (-4) from senior Alex Vogelsong.
"Game was great today," Vogelsong said. "Starting out with a 66 is great, but I'm excited for the challenge to keep it going. Our team is in a great spot. Looking forward to another fun, competitive day tomorrow."
Vogelsong began the day with seven-straight pars before making birdie on 8 to close the front nine at 34. On his back nine, the Palm City, Florida product found three more birdies on 13, 14 and 16 shoot 4-under for the round. Vogelsong leads the Orange & Blue lineup in fourth place after 18 holes.
After Vogelsong, the Tigers found a pair of 68s (-2) from junior J.M. Butler and sophomore Brendan Valdes. Butler began the 49th subpar round of his career with a front-nine 32 thanks to a trio of birdies on 2, 6 and 7 before shooting 36 on the back half with a birdie on 12 and a double on 13. Valdes also shot 32-36, opening with two birdies, an eagle and one bogey, and closing with a birdie and a double on the back.
Both Butler and Valdes have now tied the single-season program record for rounds in the 60s at 14 apiece.
Freshman Reed Lotter impressed in the return to his home state as the Savannah, Georgia native began with a birdie on 1 followed by 11 pars, then closed with birdies on 15 and 17 and bogeys on 13 and 18 for a 69 (-1). Following Wednesday's performance, Lotter trails Brandon Mancheno's (2017-20) freshman record of 11 rounds in the 60s by one.
Auburn's fifth man, junior Carson Bacha, shot 71 (+1) in his SEC Championship debut. Bacha made birdie on 2 and back-to-back bogeys on 12 and 13 along with 15 pars to begin the week.
"We played really solid today and put ourselves in that top-three group, only two shots back from the lead, which is exactly what our goal was going into the round," Auburn head coach Nick Clinard said. "Tomorrow, we'll be looking to stay aggressive and compete on every shot. We have great players, and their games are very good. When the putters heat up, we will have a chance to go very low."
Through 18, Texas A&M leads the field at 11-under. Caleb Surratt of Tennessee and Thomas Ponder of Alabama are tied for the individual lead with 64s (-6).
For Thursday's middle 18, the Tigers will play alongside the Aggies and Crimson Tide. Bacha will lead off from the first hole at 8:40 a.m. CT.
| Placement | Golfer | R1 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4th | Alex Vogelsong | 66 (-4) | 66 (-4) |
| T11th | Brendan Valdes | 68 (-2) | 68 (-2) |
| T11th | J.M. Butler | 68 (-2) | 68 (-2) |
| T23rd | Reed Lotter | 69 (-1) | 69 (-1) |
| T39th | Carson Bacha | 71 (+1) | 71 (+1) |
| 3rd | TEAM | 271 (-9) | 271 (-9) |
TEAM STANDINGS:
1. No. 15 Texas A&M 269 (-11)
2. No. 17 Alabama 270 (-10)
3. No. 8 Auburn 271 (-9)
4. No. 21 Ole Miss 275 (-5)
5. No. 18 Mississippi State 275 (-5)
6. No. 1 Vanderbilt 276 (-4)
7. No. 9 Florida 277 (-3)
8. Arkansas 278 (-2)
9. No. 13 Tennessee 278 (-2)
10. RV Georgia 280 (E)
11. Missouri 281 (+1)
12. LSU 282 (+2)
13. South Carolina 289 (+9)
14. Kentucky 290 (+10)