TSU Tigers One-Stroke Back at National Black College Hall of Fame Tournament

ATLANTA, Georgia  – The Tennessee State men’s golf team are in striking distance of its third title in four years at the National Black College Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc., tournament.  The Tigers shot a 4-over, 292 as a team at the Par-72, 6,539 yard Browns Mill Golf Course on Saturday morning.

 

TSU is one-stroke behind co-leaders, Alabama State and Florida A&M, who turned in a 3-over, 291.

 

“We just need to stay focused on playing the course,” head coach Parrish McGrath said. “We cannot get caught up watching our playing partners. We have a couple of holes, that as a team, we could have played better.”

 

James Stepp and Andrew Warner paced the Tigers with a pair of Even-par, 72’s. Blake Burgett and Codie Welborn each carded a 2-over, 74. Shane Sampair finished day one with a non-scoring 82.

 

Warner drove nine fairways and was just about perfect hitting 17 greens. On the par-3, 2nd, Warner hit his tee-shot to two-feet of the pin to set up one of two birdies on the day.

 

Welborn picked up birdies on 10 and 11 to score a team-best 1-under, 35 on the back-nine. The senior reached the green in two on the par-5, 10th, and had a 10-foot putt for eagle. The putt just lipped out leaving a tap in for birdie. On 11, Welborn would stick his second shot two inches from the cup for another easy tap-in putt.

 

Stepp led the Tigers with four birdies and finished with seven fairways and eight greens in regulation, while Burgett sank three birdies and hit five fairways and 10 greens.

 

The final round will begin at 8:00am on Sunday.

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION