From NYU Athletics
The five golfers in the University of Rochester lineup shot a combined team score of 299 to sit in a tie for tenth place among 30 of the top Division III teams after day one of the Jekyll Island Invitational.
Rochester's 299 score is the seventh sub-300 team score of the season and featured all five golfers cracking 80 in their opening round at the par-72, 6,700-yard Pine Lakes Course.
Gary Pan led the Yellowjackets with a phenomenal round of 69 (3-under), matching his career low set as a first-year back in 2021-22. Pan's round has him in a tie for 2nd place on the individual leaderboard, among the 150-golfer field.
The sophomore's card a whopping six birdies and just three bogeys. Pan's best stretch of the round came when he recorded three straight birdies on holes six, seven and eight.
Senior Brendan Frain ended his round with a bang, recording an eagle on the par-5, 18th hole to finish off a round of 75 (3-over). He ranks tied for 45th on the leaderboard.
Tom Liu carded a round of 4-over, 76 in Friday's opening round to sit in a tie for 63rd place. Liu was steady on the front nine, making eight straight pars to begin his round. He ended his front nine with a double-bogey, but rebounded right away with a birdie on ten. After a rough stretch in the middle of his back nine, Liu settled back in and notched birdies on his final two holes to end at 76.
UR's other two golfers both broke 80 thanks to birdies on their final hole of the day. Kerry Wang and Jonathan Zou each shot 79's and are among those tied for 104th place in the field.
As a team, Rochester was 5-under par on the 18th hole alone. UR also ranks second in the field on par-3's after the opening round, with the Yellowjackets shooting a team score of +2 on the four shortest holes on the course.
Overall, Emory University leads the tournament after Friday's round, with Rochester's UAA rivals shooting a 283 (5-under). Another UAA school, Carnegie Mellon, was the only other team under par, finishing at 2-under 286 to sit in second place.
The field is annually one of the best in Division III golf, as this year's Jekyll Island Invitational features nine of the top-10 teams in the latest Division III coaches poll. Tournament leader Emory is #3 nationally and second place Carnegie Mellon is also in the top-5. 14 of the 30 teams in the field are in the top-25, with six others, including Rochester, being among others receiving votes in the poll.
The event also features an individual invite where Rochester's Jeffrey Li is competing on the Oleander Course at the Jekyll Island Golf Club. Li fired a 4-over par round of 76 and sits in a tie for sixth among 34 individuals competing in that event. Li had seven pars on his front nine, with a bogey and birdie rounding out an even-par first set of holes.