Storm in Second After Opening Round

Men's Golf | 5/2/2016 5:58:00 PM

ALLENDALE, Mich. – Led by an outstanding charge by Zach James, Southeastern carded a first-round 291 and ends the first round of the Central/Midwest Super Regional in second-place, just two strokes off the lead at The Meadows in Allendale, Mich.
 
The first round played a par-71, 6,955 yards as the Savage Storm led all teams in par three scoring and was in the top three in all three scoring categories while combining for a tournament best 16 birdies in the opening round.
 
James led that charge as he was tied for the lead individually with seven birdies on the day en route to a two-under-par 69 which leaves him tied for third after one round. Starting on the back-nine he mixed a pair of birdies with a bogey and six pars.  He stumbled right out of the turn with a double-bogey on one but recovered with back-to-back-birdies and would card a birdie on five of the last nine holes to finish two-under.
 
Mason Horner, Marcos Sevilla Suarez and Hayden Foster were eerily similar in their opening rounds, with all three carding 74's to work into a tie for 22^nd.
 
Horner did so with a birdie on the front and a birdie on the back nine, but was bitten by five bogeys over the round to finish three-over for the round.
 
Sevilla opened on the back-nine with a birdie, but bogeyed five of the last six holes to go out at four over, but recovered with a pair of birdies on the back half of his round to finish at three-over.
 
Foster got off track early as he started on the 10^th hole with, going four-over between 11 and 13 and despite a birdie would finish four over for the first nine.  He would also birdie twice on the second nine holes to bounce back and finish at three over.
 
Guillermo Retana also played the first nine holes at four over, but on the second nine offset his birdie with a bogey and finished with a four-over 75 and is tied for 39^th.
 
As a team the Storm are two shots behind leader Tiffin who carded a 289, and hold a three-stroke lead on Central Missouri and Bellarmine who are tied for third with a 294.
 
Grand Valley State's 295 rounds out the top five which is key as the top five finishers after the tournament's three rounds will earn bids to the NCAA Nationals.
 
Lewis is in sixth at 298, followed by Central Oklahoma at 299 and Missouri-St. Louis at 300.
 
SE's three-fellow Great American Conference schools, Arkansas Tech, Southwestern Oklahoma State and Henderson State all check in together in a five-way tie along with Lindenwood and Washburn for ninth after all four schools carded scores of 301.
 
Winona State and Northern Michigan are tied for 14^th, while Indianapolis is 16^th followed by Minnesota State Mankato, Northwood and Ferris State to round out the 19 schools participating.
 
Individually James is tied for third with a 69, just three shots off the leader Brett Green from Tiffin and one shot behind second-place Tate Williamson from Northeastern State.
 
James was one of six players in the 103 golfer field to card an under par round on Monday.
 
The second round will pick up on Tuesday with the course still playing a par-71, but a slightly shorter 6,924 yards, with Foster teeing off first for the Storm on the first hole at 12:50 p.m.
 
Retana tees at 1 p.m., Sevilla at 1:10 p.m., James at 1:20 p.m., and Horner at 1:30 p.m.