Razorbacks, Driscoll Leads After Rd1 at Blessings Collegiate
FAYETTEVILLE – Five Razorbacks, four playing for Team “A” and an individual from Team “B”, are inside the top eight and #11 Arkansas men’s golf team leads by nine strokes with a 9-under-par 279 after 18 holes at the fourth annual Blessings Collegiate Invitational. Arkansas’ John Driscoll III fired a 4-under 68 and leads by one stroke over teammate Manuel Lozada, who drained a hole-in-one in firing a 69.
Jacob Skov Olesen is tied for third, shooting a 2-under 70, with teammate Matthis Lefevre and Kentucky’s Alex Goff. Lefevre, playing as an individual, is making his debut in a Razorback uniform after a standout junior college career and Goff was the 2020 BCI champion.
John Daly II birdied his final hole to shoot even par (72) and he is tied for eighth. Team “A” fivesome was rounded out by Thomas Curry’s 2-over-par round of 74 to tie for 19th.
The Razorbacks and #20 Mississippi State were even through nine holes but Arkansas pulled away over the final nine holes, playing the front nine last. Driscoll was 3-under over his final nine holes, including a bogey on his final hole, while Olesen and Lozada were 2-under. Daly and Thomas Curry were both even down the stretch. Miss State on the other hand played the back nine last and were +5 over its final nine holes.
Kentucky is third after 18 holes at +5 with Arkansas’ B team – five individuals that will not compete for the team title – posted a +8 round to tie #3 Washington for fourth.
In addition to Team B’s Lefevre being tied for third, Christian Castillo is tied for 19th (+2) while Mateo Pulcini and Matthew Griggs are tied for 29th (+4).
Driscoll’s day started with a bogey on the par-5, 10th hole but he posted birdies on holes 12 and 17 to make the turn at -1. He then ran off birdies on holes 3, 4, 6, and 7 before dropping a shot on his final hole, the par-4, 9th.
Lozada opened his day with three pars before electrifying the crowd with a hole-in-one on the par-3, 13th. He used a 6 iron on the hole that was playing 209 yards. It was his fifth career hole-in-one – the first in a Razorback uniform – and the third at the BCI – second by a Razorback joining Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira in 2021. All three holes-in-one have come on the 13th hole. Lozada would suffer a bogey on the 15th hole but was bogey-free with two birdies over his final 12 holes to shoot 69 and stand in second place.
Olesen was 1-over after 13 holes with a birdie and two bogeys. However, the graduate senior birdies three of his final five holes to post his 2-under round of 70. Lefevre had two birdies and a bogey on each nine to card his 70.
Round two of three is set for Tuesday. Arkansas’ “A” team will tee off at 11:45 am off hole 10. The team of individuals – Arkansas “B” – will tee off at 9:30 am off hole 10.
BLESSINGS COLLEGIATE INVITATIONAL
Oct. 2-4 • 18 holes each day
Blessings Golf Club
Fayetteville, Ark.
Par 72 || 7,720 yards (M)
Team Results Thru Rd1:
1 #11 Arkansas 279 (-9)
2 #20 Mississippi State 288 (E)
3 Kentucky 293 (+5)
4 #3 Washington 296 (+8)
5 Clemson 297 (+9)
T6 Minnesota 299 (+11)
T6 NC State 299 (+11)
8 South Carolina. 302 (+14)
9 North Texas 317 (+29)
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