COLLEGE GROVE, Tenn. (UCFKnights.com) -- Three Knights had stellar rounds on the first day of the NCAA College Grove Regional, being played at The Grove Golf Course. As a team, UCF sits in second place after the first of three rounds of competition.
Manuel Elvira fired a 5-under 67 to lead the way. The junior started the first round on fire. He birdied four of the first eight holes to quickly move to 4-under. A bogey on 12 was a slight setback, but Elvira carded birdies on Nos. 16 and 18 to finish strong. He is in a tie for third place after one round and is just one stroke off the lead.
Freshman Bobby Bai also played well on the front nine. He didn't have a blemish on his scorecard until the 16th hole. He made the turn at -2. Bai's only mistake resulted in a double bogey on No. 16. But he made up for it with a pair of birdies to close out the round and finish at 2-under. Sophomore Kyler Tate was even at the turn after three birdies, a double bogey and a bogey. But he birdied Nos. 10 and 18 to finish at -2, as well. Bai and Tate are tied for 11th place.
"We played a nice round today, led by Manuel, Bobby and Kyler," UCF head coach Bryce Wallor said. "The strongest stretch of the course are holes three through eight. We got off to a solid start and did a good job once the course opened up a bit. Coach Mork and I are very pleased with the effort and energy of the team through the first day."
Junior Juuso Kahlos rounded out the scoring for the Knights Monday. He turned in a 78 (+6) and is currently tied for 59th place. Senior Ryan Stovash's score of 83 (+11) did not count toward the team score Monday, as the four best scores of the five players count in each round.
The second round will take place Tuesday, with the third and final round slated for Wednesday. The top five teams in each of six regionals will advance to the NCAA Championships, which are set to take place May 26-31 at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill.
