The No. 18 Arkansas Razorbacks finished hot but had to settle for an 8-over 296 in the rain-plagued first round of the NCAA Championships on Friday in Stillwater, Okla.
On a day plagued by weather delays lasting 3 hours and 28 minutes at Karsten Creek Golf Club, the Razorbacks were tied for 11th among the 15 teams who finished their rounds. Play was called at about 7:30 p.m. with 15 teams still on the course.
The Razorbacks started on No. 10 and made the turn at 9 over with four birdies and 16 bogeys or worse, but they turned it around on the front nine and closed strong, led by senior Alvaro Ortiz and sophomore William Buhl, who each shot 3 under on the front.
Ortiz and Buhl both finished the round at even-par 72. Sophomores Mason Overstreet and Luis Garza finished at 4 over, and sophomore Tyson Reeder’s non-counting score was 5 over.
Ortiz made the turn at 3 over, but made an eagle on the 542-yard par-5 No. 1 hole, then birdied No. 5 to reach even par.
Buhl bogeyed Nos. 16, 17 and 18, but had three birdies on the front nine.
Arkansas Coach Brad McMakin said the delays, which included starting the round after a long delay then coming off the course again, were not ideal, but he was glad the Razorbacks finished their round.
“There is nothing you can do about that, so you just have to help them stay focused,” he said. “The last nine holes of SECs and the last nine holes of regionals are two of the most exciting rounds I’ve ever coached. We did that a bit today. We got out to a slow start, but we played the back nine five-under. We have to get out to a little bit better start the rest of the week.”
Fifteen teams are scheduled to resume the first round at 7 a.m., while the second round is scheduled to start at 8 a.m.