AUBURN, Ala. — LSU senior men’s golfer John Humphries shot a 5-over par 77 On Thursday in the first round of the 2003 NCAA East Regional to end the day in a tie for 81st place at the Auburn University Club.
Humphries, making his third-straight appearance in NCAA play, is one of six individuals vying for a trip to the 2003 NCAA Championship which will be held May 27-30 in Stillwater, Okla. The top two individual golfers from schools who do not qualify for the NCAA’s from each of the three regions make the NCAA Championship. The top 10 schools from each of the three regions advance to make up the field at the NCAA’s, as 27 teams compete in each of the three regions.
Humphries’ best career-NCAA finish came last season in the Central Regional in Little Rock, Ark., where he shot a 7-over par 223. LSU also finished 16th as a team last season in Little Rock. Humphries, the lone individual from the Southeastern Conference, was named to the All-SEC first team last week for the first time in his career. He was a member of the All-SEC second team in 2001.
Tennessee and Georgia Tech lead the field after 18 holes of play, as each shot 7-under par 281 on Thursday. South Alabama’s Gareth Maybin, also playing as an individual, is tied with Tennessee’s Ross McGowan for the lead as each player fired a 5-under par 67 Friday.
Round two action gets underway on Friday morning and the third and final round will be held on Saturday. Humphries will tee off at 9:09 a.m. on Friday and is paired with fellow individuals Ryan Gildersleeve and Maybin on Friday and will start on hole No. 1.