KISSIMMEE, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - After the first round of the NCAA Regional Championship, the UCF Knights men's golf team is tied for first with No. 8 Florida after shooting 276 (-12) at the Reunion. Bobby Bai and Juuso Kahlos are each tied for first individually both shot 67 (-5) after the first 18 holes.
After a 70-minute rain delay, the Knights teed off on the tenth hole and immediately climbed up the leaderboard. Bai birdied his first three holes to ignite UCF and eagled the 14th to move the Knights to the top of the field, where they would remain the majority of the afternoon.
UCF shot -11 on the back nine, with Bai pacing the Knights and the field with five under par. On the front nine, Kahlos birdied four holes to creep into the leader's spot with Bai.
Kahlos and Bai each ended the day with six birdies, while Manuel Elvira added two for the Knights. Elvira shot a solid 71(-1) on day one, helping keep UCF in pole position.
Kyler Tate ended the day with a birdie to move the Knights into first place with a clutch putt on the final hole. Tate recorded four birdies for UCF and finished one under par.
In his sixth event of the season, freshman Tommy Cao shot a 77 and gave the Knights three birdies as he looks to have a day for the Knights on Tuesday.
On the day, the Knights led all competitors with 21 birdies and was one of just three schools to record an eagle. UCF finished the day tied for first with USF in lowest par five average with 4.45 strokes (-11).
The Knights sit ahead of seven ranked schools after the first day including No.29 Kent State, No. 20 USF, No. 5 Vanderbilt, No. 17 UNC, No. 32 Arizona, No. 41 Purdue, and No. 44 Colorado State.
Cao will be first to tee off for Knights Tuesday morning at 7:30 a.m. on hole one.