SEA ISLAND, Ga. — The LSU men’s golf team shot a 12-over par 292 on Friday in the first round of the 2002 Southeastern Conference Men’s Golf Championship to finish the day in fourth place at the Sea Island Golf Club’s Seaside Course.
The Tigers are eight strokes behind leader and defending national champion Florida. The Gators fired a 4-over 284 on Friday led by Camilo Villegas’ 2-under 68, the day’s low round. Auburn is in second place, at 5-over par 285, a stroke behind Florida. Arkansas is two strokes ahead of LSU at 10-over par. Vanderbilt is in fifth place at 14-over 294. Georgia, last year’s champion, is in a tie with Ole Miss in eight place at 18-over par 298.
Junior Garrett Prather, named to the 2002 Sec Academic Honor Roll on Thursday, leads all LSU players after one round, as he stands in a tie for fifth place at 1-over par 71. John Humphries shot a 3-over par 73 and is tied for 16th place. Senior Nathan Goulding and true freshman Heath West each shot 4-over par 74s Friday and are in 26th place. Jason Horrell shot a 6-over 76, good for 34th place.
Villegas leads all individuals at 2-under par. Teammate Camilo Benedetti is tied with two others for second place at even-par 70. Seven golfers are tied for fifth place individually.
“We had a pretty decent round today, but we can still get better,” said LSU head coach Greg Jones. “Last season we started off much slower and really put ourselves in a tough position, so this is a good sign heading into tomorrow.”
LSU finished eighth last season, well behind champion Georgia. The Tigers last won the tournament in 1987, after also winning in 1986. LSU placed second in both 1988 and 1989.
The Tigers will tee off at 9:40 a.m. on Saturday in second-round action and are paired with Vanderbilt and Tennessee. The championship concludes on Sunday with the final round at the par-70, 6,849 yd. course.
Agate to Follow:
TEAM SCORES
1. Florida 284 +4; 2. Auburn 285 +5; 3. Arkansas 290 +10; 4. LSU 292 +12; 5. Vanderbilt 294 +14; t6. Tennessee 296 +16; t6. Kentucky 296 +16; t8. Georgia 298 +18; t8. Mississippi 298 +18; 10. South Carolina 302 +22; 11. Alabama 305 +25; 12. Mississippi State 306 +26
TOP FIVE INDIVIDUALS
1. Camilo Villegas, Florida, 68 -2; t2. Camilo Benedetti, Florida, 70 E; t2. Beau Galyean, Arkansas, 70 E; t2. Jay Mundy, Auburn, 70 E; t5. Mark Donnell, Vanderbilt, 71 +1; t5. Chad Faucett, Arkansas, 71 +1; t5. John Holmes, Kentucky, 71 +1; t5. Ryan Hybl, Georgia, 71 +1; t5. Codie Mudd, Mississippi State, 71 +1; t5. Garrett Prather, LSU, 71 +1; t5. Lee Williams, 71 +1
LSU SCORES
t5. Garrett Prather 71 +1
t16. John Humphries 73 +3
t26. Nathan Goulding 74 +4
t26. Heath West 74 +4
t34. Jason Horrell 76 +6