Lee tied for first after day 1 of Atchafalaya Intercollegiate

Despite the rainy weather, which wiped out the second round Monday, freshman Jack Lee fired a 3-under 69 to tie for first, and the Nicholls State University men’s golf team had a strong showing overall as it finished the opening round of the Atchafalaya Intercollegiate in third place out of 13 teams.
After seeing very little rain during the past few weeks, the Atchafalaya at Idlewild was hammered with rain in the late morning, leading to play being suspended for more than two hours and thirty minutes. The rain finally let up after lunch, and play resumed around 2:30 p.m. The teams finished the first round and were scheduled to play 18 holes today to conclude the tournament.
Coming off a stellar fall campaign, Lee continued his magnificent play on the Colonels’ home course, birdying three times each on the front and back nine. He ended the day tied with Central Arkansas’ Luis Obiols at 3-under.
As a team, Nicholls fired a 3-over 291 to finish two strokes ahead of Wichita State. ULM led all teams with a 4-under 284, while Central Arkansas was second at even 288.
Nicholls’ Chad Watts-Denyes finished in the top 20 as he shot a 1-over 73, helped by two birdies on the back, while the Colonels’ Albert Badosa-Soler shot 2-under on the back to card a 74. Peyton McCulloch finished with a 75, and Josh Fullilove shot a 76.
The Colonels also had four golfers play as individuals, highlighted by freshman Baker Stevenson’s even 72 in his first collegiate action. Stevenson had five birdies in his round, which trailed only Lee and North Dakota State’s Keaton Lausch, who both finished with six. Ludo Durante shot a 76, Tye Smith carded a 78, and Emil Ragnarsson finished with a 79.