LA QUINTA, Calif. — Returning freshman
Lucas Carper finished with a bogey-free opening round en route to a 2-under 70 to lead the field after day one in his Big West Conference Championships debut, while returning junior
Thomas Hutchison was also in the top five with an even-par 72, helping the UC Davis men's golf team into a tie for second after the first 18 holes of the league championship event on Sunday afternoon at La Quinta Country Club in La Quinta, Calif.
The Aggies finished with a day one 296 to finish at 8-over, tied with Cal Poly in the overall standings following the opening round. The two teams are nine shots back of leader Long Beach State, which finished with a 1-under 287 thanks to three players in the top five — all of whom trail Carper by a single stroke — and a fourth ending the day in the top 10.
Carper posted his seventh round at par or better this season thanks to birdies back-to-back par fives, carding a four on the fifth and sixth holes while playing the rest of the course at even-par en route to the day one lead. Sunday's 70 was his lowest score since posting a 67 in the final round of the Wyoming Cowboy Classic back on April 6.
Hutchison, meanwhile, endured a roller coaster of a day to finish two shots behind his teammate, finishing with a team-high five birdies to offset five bogeys to post his seventh consecutive round at par or better — and his 10th overall — this season. The five birdies were tied for the fourth most on the tournament's first day, just one back of three other players for the most through 18 holes.
Also making their Big West Championships debut were returning freshman
Jacob Westberg and true freshman
Alejandro Nava, who ended the day in a tie for 25th following a pair of 5-over 77s. Nava finished with four birdies on the day, playing the front nine at even-par before fading on the back.
Returning freshman
Mark Stephens wrapped up the group, ending the day with a 6-over 78 to tie for 30th.
The Aggies tee-off in round two on Monday afternoon (May 3) at 12:10 p.m., alongside Long Beach State and Cal Poly. Live scoring for the second round is available via GolfStat at
http://results.golfstat.com/public/leaderboards/gsnav.cfm?pg=team&tid=22029.
2021 BIG WEST CONFERENCE MEN'S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS
La Quinta Country Club (La Quinta, Calif.)
Par 72 • 6,997 Yards
TEAM SCORES (after 18 holes)
1. Long Beach State, 287 (-1)
t2. UC DAVIS, 296 (+8)
t2. Cal Poly, 296 (+8)
4. UC Santa Barbara, 299 (+11)
5. Cal State Fullerton, 300 (+12)
6. CSUN, 302 (+14)
7. Hawai'i, 303 (+15)
8. UC Irvine, 311 (+23)
9. UC Riverside, 331 (+43)
INDIVIDUAL SCORES (after 18 holes)
(Leaders plus UC Davis scores)
1.
Lucas Carper, UC Davis, 70 (-2)
5.
Thomas Hutchison, UC Davis, 72 (E)
t25.
Jacob Westberg, UC Davis, 77 (+5)
t25.
Alejandro Nava, UC Davis, 77 (+5)
t30.
Mark Stephens, UC Davis, 78 (+6)
ABOUT UC DAVIS
Centrally located between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, over 700 student-athletes across 25 teams enjoy an unrivaled undergraduate experience at the fifth-ranked public school in the country.
Ranked annually in the nation's top 10 in diversity and students' social mobility, UC Davis and its innovative Aggie EVO System helps student-athletes develop passions, connect with a comprehensive network of alums and industry leaders, gain real-world experience and thrive as a young professional following a successful launch to full-time employment or graduate school.
