Jacksonville State holds first-round lead
Jacksonville State leads the first round of the 2007 Ohio Valley Conference Championship on Sunday with a team score of 299 at the Country Club of Paducah in Paducah, Ky.
Four Gamecocks shot rounds in the 70s with sophomore Daniel Willett leading the way with a 1-over 73.
Tennessee Tech senior Scott Stallings is the overall leader with a 1-under 71.
Eastern’s team score of 315 places them in eighth place and 16 shots back of Jacksonville State.
“We’re not happy with eighth,” said Eastern senior Anthony Imburgia. “But with one good round, we can jump up to fourth or better.”
Imburgia shot a 3-over 75 to lead the Panthers and finished the first round of the OVC Championship in a tie for seventh place.
He had four birdies in the first round in addition to five bogeys and one double bogey.
The lone double bogey came on the par-four 16th pole and Imburgia said his approach shot into the wind fell short into the water.
Imburgia said the weather played a factor in the high scores in the first round.
“It was extremely windy,” he said. “There were 25 mph gusts and the wind was swirling between the trees.”
Imburgia said the wind dried out the course and the rolling greens made it more of a challenge.
Eastern head coach Mike Moncel said his team golfed about average for the conditions and the greens were affected by the weather the most.
“The greens were just crazy,” Moncel said. “The wind was just causing havoc with putting.”
Rounding out the Panther’s scores were junior Mike Imburgia (78, +6), junior Matt Imburgia (80, +8), senior Ty Comerford (82, +10) and junior Jaron Rose (82, +10).
In order for Eastern to move up from eighth place, Moncel said his team had to shoot under par to make up the stroke difference.
That could be a challenge as the winds are predicted to be 10 mph faster in the second round, Moncel said.
Austin Peay senior Chris Barron carded the only eagle of the first round en route to his 3-over 75 and tie for seventh.
2006 champion Eastern Kentucky is in second place after shooting 302 as a team, three strokes behind Jacksonville State.
