Justin Thomas
PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. (May 29, 2012) -- After a long Day 1 at the 2012 NCAA Championship, Alabama holds a three shot lead.
Behind the effort of top player Justin Thomas' 1-under 70, the Crimson Tide combined to shoot a first-round 1-over 285. Bobby Wyatt (71), Scott Strohmeyer (71) and Cory Whitsett (73) also contributed scores for the first place Tide.
“They played really well on a very difficult golf course. I think every hole here is into the wind,” said Alabama head coach Jay Seawell.
Florida, the early-morning wave leader, finished the day tied for second place alongside Auburn. Tyler McCumber fired a 3-under 68 to power the Gators while the dominant duo of Blayne Barber and Dominic Bozzelli shot identical rounds of 2-under 69 to pace Auburn.
UCLA, which received the round of the day from Anton Arboleda, is tied for fourth place with Oklahoma after Round 1. He shot a red-hot 5-under par 31 on the back nine with birdies on the 10th, 11th, 13th, 16th and 17th holes.
“I knew my game was solid,” said Arboleda after his round. “Even when I was making bogeys, I Just kept hitting good shots. Then I made some putts on the back 9. We’ve been fortunate playing here so many times and get to dissect and analyze the greens, which is really important.”
Patrick Cantlay, the world's top-ranked amateur and a teammate of the leader, shot 3-over 74 on the Bruins' home course.
Patrick Rodgers, the No. 2 player in the Golfweek/amateurgolf.com World Amateur Rankings, fired a 2-under 69 and sits in a fourth-place tie individually. His Stanford Cardinal are tied for 13th after the first round.
Other notable individuals include: Brandon Hagy (Cal, 71, T-13), Dylan Frittelli (Texas, 72, T-27), Jordan Spieth (Texas, 73, T-46), Brooks Koepka (Florida State, 71, T-13), Julien Brun (TCU, 72, T-27).
ABOUT THE
NCAA Division I Championship
The NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship is the pinnacle of collegiate golf in the United States, held annually in late May or early June. The event brings together the nation's top 30 teams and six individual qualifiers, all of whom have advanced through a grueling regional qualifying process. Conference champions earn automatic regional berths, while a selection committee fills the remaining spots.
The championship begins with 72 holes of stroke play to determine the individual national champion. Following this, the top 8 teams advance to a match play bracket to compete for the team title — a format introduced in 2009 that added a dramatic head-to-head element to the final days of competition.
Some of the most decorated names in professional golf have competed in this event, including Jack Nicklaus, Hale Irwin, Tiger Woods, and Phil Mickelson. Winning the individual title now includes an added bonus: the champion receives an invitation to the following year’s Masters Tournament, provided they maintain amateur status.
The tournament dates back to 1897, originally run by the National Intercollegiate Golf Association. The NCAA began officially sponsoring the event in 1939. Over time, the championship has become not just a collegiate milestone, but also a launching pad for future PGA Tour stars.
After 72 holes of stroke play, the individual champion is crowned, and the low 8 teams advance to match play to determine the team champion.
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