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Thomas and Delgadillo end day tied for sixth on individual leaderboard.
Source: NMSU Athletics
By Michael Navarrette
Photo: Courtesy
TEXARKANA, Ark. – With 18 holes in the books, the NM State men’s golf team currently sits in a tie for fifth place alongside Sam Houston at the Conference USA Championships. On the opening day of play, the Aggies posted a 291 (+3) and sit just one stroke out of the top four teams.
With two rounds to play, NM State will need to work its way into the top four in order to earn a spot in the match play event beginning on Thursday to keep their hopes at a conference title alive. Currently, Liberty (-11) paces the field after three of their five players shot better than par on Monday.
Individually, the Aggies are led by senior Aidan Thomas and junior Javier Delgadillo who each posted a first-round score of 70 (-2) to end the day in a tie for sixth place. Thomas logged four birdies on the day, including two across the final seven holes. Meanwhile, Delgadillo also recorded four birdies with three coming on the front nine. The two Aggies and the rest of the field are currently chasing Liberty’s Josh Ryan who carded a 67 (-5) to sit alone atop the leaderboard after 18 holes.
NM State received a 74 (+2) from Ethan Klose who was the third Aggie to appear on the leaderboard. This score placed Klose in a tie for 23rd and included a trio of birdies.
Alexandre Bauduin and Mateo Payan each carded a 77 (+5) and sit in a tie for 37th after the opening day of play. Despite the struggles, Payan was able to end his day with a pair of birdies on the final three holes to end the round on an upward trajectory.
DAY ONE AGGIE LEADERBOARD
T5. NM State – 291 (+3)
T6. Javier Delgadillo – 70 (-2)
T6. Aidan Thomas – 70 (-2)
T23. Ethan Klose – 74 (+2)
T37. Mateo Payan – 77 (+5)
T37. Alexandre Bauduin – 77 (+5)
ROUND TWO TEE TIMES (Times listed in MDT)
8:00 a.m. – Mateo Payan
8:11 a.m. – Alexandre Bauduin
8:22 a.m. – Ethan Klose
8:33 a.m. – Aidan Thomas
8:44 a.m. – Javier Delgadillo
NUMBERS OF NOTE
- The average score for the entire field on the opening day was a 73.45 while the Aggies’ average was a 73.60.
- Hole 17 played as the easiest hole on the first day of competition with 19 players recording a birdie and one player logging an eagle on the 291-yard par 4. For the Aggies, only Mateo Payan posted a birdie on No. 17. Meanwhile, hole 7 produced the highest number of birdies with 20 players carding a birdie on the 525-yard par 5. For the Aggies, both Ethan Klose and Alexandre Bauduin gained a stroke on hole 7.
- The toughest hole on the day was hole 6 which only two players recorded a birdie on the 220-yard par 3. This hole proved to be difficult for the Aggies as four of NM State’s five players bogeyed hole 6.
- Javier Delgadillo’s birdie on hole 1 was one of only four birdies in the field on the 400-yard par 4. He also birdied hole 9 which only four players posted a birdie on.
- As a team, NM State recorded 17 birdies to finish third among the field. The Aggies were also one of only two teams to record just one double bogey on the day which marked the fewest in the field.
- Ethan Klose finished one-under on the course’s four par 3s to end the day tied for first in scoring average on the par 3s.
- Javier Delgadillo’s average score of 3.80 on the par 4s ended the day tied for second-best among the field.
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