#5 Arkansas 5th After RD1 at Fallen Oak Collegiate
SAUCIER, Miss. – Led by impressive back nines from Cam Smith and Erich Fortlage, the fifth-ranked Arkansas men’s golf program sits in fifth with a 6-under-par 282 after 18 holes at the Fallen Oak Collegiate Invitational, played at the par-72 Fallen Oak Golf Club.
Smith carded four birdies on the inward nine and is sixth thanks to a 3-under 69 for the day. Fortlage, who was 3-over after nine holes, fired a bogey-free 5-under over the final nine holes to post a 2-under 70.
#9 LSU leads after day one with a 15-under 273, and #7 Ole Miss is second at 10-under. Only five strokes separate positions 3-7, which includes #20 Alabama (-9), #36 Georgia (-7), Arkansas (06), Chattanooga (-5) and #18 Illinois (-4).
Smith started the day with a birdie on the par-4, 2nd, and posted 8 pars through his opening nine holes. The junior started the back nine with birdies on holes 10 and 11. After dropping a shot on the 12th hole, he birdies holes 14 and 15. He suffered a bogey on the 18th hole, which was the toughest hole on the course on Friday, playing at a half-stroke over par for the round. Overall, Smith’s 69 puts him in an eight-way tie for seventh, three shots off the lead.
Fortlage had bogeys on holes 3, 4 and 9 to stand at +3 at the turn. The sophomore caught fire coming home, shooting a bogey-free, 5-under 31 for a first-day total of 70 (-2) to tie for 15th.
Gerardo Gomez is tied for 20th. He offset two bogeys with three birdies, including birdies on holes 11 and 12, to card a 1-under 71. Niilo Maki-Petaja is even after day one and tied for 28th. John Daly II and Willie Gordon, playing as an individual, are tied for 42nd, each turning in a 1-over 73.
The Invitational will continue with 18 holes on Sunday and conclude with 18 holes on Monday.
Fallen Oak Collegiate
Fallen Oak Golf Club || Saucier, Miss.
co-hosts: Southern Miss, Ole Miss and Mississippi State
Oct. 18-20, 2025
Par: 72 • 7,487 yards
Format: 5 count 4 ||18 holes each day
Results Thru Rd1:
1 #9 LSU 273 / -15
2 #7 Ole Miss 278 / -10
3 #20 Alabama 279 / -9
4 #36 Georgia 281 / -7
5 #5 Arkansas 282 / -6
6 Chattanooga 283 / -5
7 #18 Illinois 284 / -4
8 #19 Tennessee 287 / -1
9 UNLV 290 / +2
10 Wisconsin 291 / +3
T11 Iowa 292 / +4
T11 #38 South Carolina 292 / +4
T13 Southern Miss 294 / +6
T13 Mississippi State 294 / +6
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