Perico has Record Day and Razorbacks in 3rd at Jerry Pate National

Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate Live Scoring/Results (HMTL)

Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate Live Scoring/Results (PDF)

VESTAVIA HILLA, Ala. – University of Arkansas freshman Julian Perico posted a record-setting score of 129 through 36 holes, carding an opening-round 64 followed by a 65, to take a four-stroke lead into the final round at the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate, played at the par-70, 7,204-yard Old Overton Country Club.

Thanks to Perico’s effort as well as having all five players inside the top 25, the 19th-ranked Razorbacks are in third place in the 12-team field with a score of 5-under-par 555 (281-274), two strokes off the lead. Brigham Young sits atop the team leaderboard shooting 553 through two rounds Monday. Host and third-ranked Alabama is in second (554). Auburn, ranked 14th, is fourth (562), followed by Charlotte in fifth (563).

According to records available (dating back to 2000), Perico is the only Razorback to shoot 64-65 in the same tournament with his two-round total of 129 being a record for the opening two rounds. The 64 ties for the third-best, 18-hole score in school history (with a pair of 63’s being the school record) and his 65 ties for 10th-best, 18-hole score. Last year, Arkansas’ Mason Overstreet was medalist at this event as he opened with back-to-back 65’s (10-under par) and shot even par 70 for a total of 200, the second-best 54-hole score in school history.

“(Assistant coach) Barrett Lais walked with Julian today and he said it was the best golf he has ever seen,” said head coach Brad McMakin. “I’ve never had a player put two rounds together like that and could not be happier for Julian. We knew Julian had the potential to shoot low like this because he hits the ball so close to the hole.”

Not only does Perico have a four-stroke lead, but he also led the field by four by posting 15 birdies through two rounds.

Perico opened the morning session with a par and then had birdies holes two and three. He dropped a shot on the fifth hole but birdied five of his next six holes to get to 6-under. He would post two birdies and two bogeys over his final seven holes to finish round one in first place with a 6-under-par 64.

In the afternoon session, the freshman started on the 10th hole and had pars on this first three holes. He off-set his birdie on the 13th hole with a bogey on the 14th. However, he closed his front nine with birdies on holes 16, 17 and 18. On his back nine, Perico posted seven pars and two birdies for his 5-under par 65.

Luis Garza, who has also shot 64 this season, is tied for 12th with a 1-over 141 (71-70). The junior had three bogeys and two birdies in the first round for a 1-over 71. In the second round and starting on hole 10, Garza got off to a slow start with four bogeys and five pars to make the turn at 4-over. However, he was one of four Razorbacks to birdie the 617-yard, par-5, 2nd hole. He would go on to birdie three of his last five holes and shoot an even-par 70 to move up five spots into his tie for 12th.

Tyson Reeder shot 72-70 for a 36-hole total of 142 to stand in a tie for 16th. Like Garza, Reeder had a birdie on the 617-yard, par-5 in the afternoon and, like Garza, Reeder shot par in the second round to climb five spots in the standings. Reeder had a double bogey on the opening hole but he was even the rest of the way with four birdies. In the second round Monday afternoon, Reeder had 15 pars, a double bogey and birdies on holes two and six.

Overstreet and William Buhl are each tied for 25th after carding 36-hole scores of 145. Overstreet shot a 74-71 while Buhl had rounds of 76-69. Overstreet moved up seven spots from round one to round two with his 1-over 71 in the afternoon. Buhl was in 45th place after an opening round 76 but rocketed 20 spots up the leaderboard with his 69 in the afternoon, posting three birdies and two bogeys.

The Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate will conclude with 18 final holes on Tuesday.