PUEBLO, Colo. (Oct. 4, 2021) – Four Oklahoma Christian golfers posted rounds in the 60s on Monday and as a result, the Eagles seized control of the Farmers Insurance Samuel Prohl Invitational/NCAA Division II South Central-West Regional Preview at Pueblo Country Club.
No. 14-ranked OC posted a team round of 274 (10-under-par) to take a three-shot lead over tournament host Colorado State-Pueblo of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Three of OC's Lone Star Conference brethren – Midwestern State (Texas), No. 14 Texas A&M-Commerce and St. Mary's (Texas) – were tied for third at 278 and Colorado Mesa of the RMAC was sixth in the 19-team field at 280.
Taking advantage of ideal playing conditions – with temperatures in the high 70s and a light west wind – all five OC players had at least three birdies, giving the Eagles a total of 23, four more than any other team, on the course that will host the South Central-West Regional Championship tournament next May.
The Eagles also picked up a pair of eagles. No. 5 player
Santiago Villareal – a freshman from Cordoba, Argentina, making his first collegiate start – started OC off with an eagle on his first hole, the 267-yard, par-4 No. 10, and
Alejandro Armijo later added a second eagle on the par-5 No. 14.
Armijo, a junior from Rio Rancho, N.M., also had four birdies on the 6,522-yard course and was tied for eighth in the 100-man field at 3-under-par 68. Also at 68 was senior
Andres Brictson of Merida, Mexico, after knocking home five birdies, four of those over his final nine holes.
One shot back at 69, tied for 15th, were OC sophomore
Mateo Pulcini of Rio Cuarto, Argentina, and Villareal. Pulcini, coming off his first collegiate win last week in the Missouri Southern Fall Invitational, recorded a team-high six birdies, while Villareal had five birdies.
Freshman
Exequiel Rodriguez of Buenos Aires, Argentina, had three birdies while shooting a 76. He was tied for 73rd.
The Eagles will tee off for Tuesday's final round at 9 a.m. Mountain time (10 a.m. Central), grouped with Midwestern State, St. Mary's and Colorado State-Pueblo.
