March 12, 2004
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Chan Wongluekiet fired a four-under-par 68 Friday and is tied for fifth individually, but fourth-ranked Georgia Tech is in 10th place after the first round of the Southern Highlands Collegiate Championship beginning Friday in Las Vegas.
The tournament, which is being played at Las Vegas’ luxurious Southern Highlands Golf Club (7,381 Yards, par 72), continues with the second round Saturday and concludes on Sunday, March 14. The 54-hole event carries a standard 4-of-5 scoring format, with 18 holes to be played each day. Eleven of the 15 teams are ranked among the nation’s top 20 in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index.
Tech’s 18-hole total of 291, three over par, is 14 strokes off the pace of Florida, which shot 11-under-par 277 and has a two-shot lead over Clemson and Arizona State. UCLA is in fourth place at 282, followed by Georgia and Arizona at four-under-par 284.
Wongluekiet, a junior from Brandenton, Fla., is in a group of five golfers at 68, three shots off the pace of Henry Liaw of Arizona, who holds the first-round lead after a 7-under-par 65 Friday. Jack Ferguson of Clemson and Niklas Lemke of Arizona State each carded a 6-under-par 66 Friday.
Kevin Larsen and Nicholas Thompson each shot 74 and are tied for 38th, while Mike Barbosa turned in a 75 and is tied for 43rd. Roberto Castro shot 77 and is tied for 61st.
SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS COLLEGIATE CHAMPIONSHIPLas Vegas, Nev.Southern Highlands Golf Club (7,381 yards, par 72)
FIRST ROUND TEAM SCORES
Florida 277 (-11) Clemson 279 (-9) Arizona State 279 (-9) UCLA 282 (-6) Georgia 284 (-4) Arizona 284 (-4) Washington 289 (+1) Augusta State 289 (+1) UNLV 289 (+1) Georgia Tech 291 (+3) NC State 294 (+6) Wake Forest 295 (+7) Auburn 300 (+12) New Mexico 302 (+14) North Carolina 302 (+14)
TOP INDIVIDUALS
Henry Liaw, Arizona 65 (-7) Jack Ferguson, Clemson 66 (-6) Niklas Lemke, Arizona State 66 (-6) Camilo Villegas, Florida 67 (-5) Bill Haas, Wake Forest 68 (-4) Jay Merrick, UCLA 68 (-4) Brett Stegmaier, Florida 68 (-4) Brendon Todd, Georgia 68 (-4) Chan Wongluekiet, Georgia Tech 68 (-4)
GEORGIA TECH SCORES
T5 Chan Wongluekiet 68 (-4) T38 Kevin Larsen 74 (+2) T38 Nicholas Thompson 74 (+2) T43 Mike Barbosa 75 (+3) T61 Robert Castro 77 (+5)
