LAS VEGAS (March 6, 2022) – Competing in one of the deepest tournament fields in NCAA Division II men's golf, Oklahoma Christian played steady on Sunday to hold its own in the first round of the Las Vegas Desert Classic at The Legacy Golf Club.
For a time, No. 8-ranked OC slipped as low as 12th in the 19-team field before the Eagles eased back up the leaderboard into a tie for sixth with a team score of 291, nine shots behind the leader, tournament host Missouri-St. Louis. Helping the Eagles' cause considerably was their consistency, as they led the field with 59 pars and combined for only four double or triple bogeys.
Seven of the teams in the tournament were ranked in the latest Division II coaches' poll – four of those in the top 10 – and three others received votes. The three-day tournament will continue on Monday and Tuesday.
UMSL will take a one-shot lead over No. 10 Central Missouri into the second round. St. Mary's (Texas) and No. 7 West Florida are two shots further back, with Colorado Mesa fifth at 286. OC, Flagler (Fla.) and No. 23 Colorado State-Pueblo all are tied for sixth. Other top-25 teams in the field include No. 2 Arkansas Tech, No. 20 Florida Southern and No. 25 Indianapolis (Ind.).
Freshman
Exequiel Rodriguez of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and sophomore
Mateo Pulcini of Rio Cuarto, Argentina, were OC's leaders on Sunday, both finishing at even-par 72 on the 7,110-yard course. Rodriguez finished with three birdies while Pulcini had five, including four over his final nine holes, helping him overcome a triple bogey early in the round. They were tied for 23rd in the 96-man field, five shots behind the leader, Ian McCrary of UMSL.
One shot behind Pulcini and Rodriguez was OC senior
Andres Brictson of Merida, Mexico, in a tie for 32nd at 73. At 74 was junior
Alejandro Armijo of Rio Rancho, N.M., who had 15 pars during his round. Freshman
Oskari Nikku of Tuusula, Finland, shot a 77 and was tied for 66th.
The Eagles will tee off Monday at 10 a.m. Central time (8 a.m. local time) in the second round, grouped with Arkansas Tech and Colorado State-Pueblo.
