Seniors Shine With Solid Start at Arizona Intercollegiate

Monday, January 27

Tucson, Ariz. (Sewailo GC)

All Day

Mississippi State

Arizona Intercollegiate

Seniors Shine With Solid Start at Arizona Intercollegiate

January 27, 2020 | Men's Golf

By McRae Clay, Student Assistant/Communications

TUCSON, Ariz. – Mississippi State men's golf begins the spring season with two solid rounds at the Arizona Intercollegiate. The Bulldogs sit tied for seventh after the first day behind strong performances from seniors Garrett Johnson and Peng Pichaikool.

After a great afternoon, Johnson and Pichaikool are both in the top 15 out of the 83-player field.

The Bulldogs sit in sole possession of seventh place, ahead of No. 44 ranked Long Beach State.

Johnson tallied a three-under par, 68, and was tied for fourth place after the first round. He ended the morning bogey-free the last 13 holes with back-to-back birdies on holes 16 and 17. In the afternoon, he advanced two spots to end the day in a tie for second place at five under-par. He made three consecutive birdies on holes two through four. Johnson dominated the par-three's with his strong iron game and paced the field averaging 2.43 strokes.

"I really played smart and took what the course gave me and made a few putts," Johnson said.

Pichaikool finished the first round with a one-over. Then, he bolted up the leaderboard 16 spots after he shot one under-par, 70, during round two. In the afternoon, he carded an eagle on his second hole and was bogey free for his first 10. He ended the day at even par.

"I thought we did a very nice job in our opening round battling," head coach Dusty Smith said. "The guys hung tough after a tough start but showed a lot of poise and grit on the final nine holes. Garrett gave us a huge round in the morning, and Hunter Logan finished his round with a couple birdies to give us a solid round."

"The afternoon round, we gave away way too many shots. We were not as disciplined and committed and to be honest, we got what we deserved. With that being said, Garrett and Peng, did a great job of keeping us in there. I am very proud of them. We will learn from today, and we will be excited for the opportunity tomorrow. We need to make sure our focus is where it needs to be, and we need to play Mississippi State golf tomorrow."

Freshman Hunter Logan started solid and posted an even-par, 71, in the first round. He finished by making birdie on two of his last three holes. His afternoon round was highlighted by birdie on hole 10.

Sophomore Ford Clegg finished the last five holes of his first-round bogey. He posted a total score of 152 for the two rounds. Austin Vukovits is also looking to rebound tomorrow after he shot a total of 153 on day one.

The Bulldogs tee off the final round Tuesday at 9 a.m. CT shotgun start.

"We're Bulldogs, we're tough and gritty, it's our nature," Johnson said. "These guys are going to fight tomorrow and give it all on every shot."

*Play was suspended due to darkness, but a few participants had one to two holes left. Scores below are after the first round only*

ARIZONA INTERCOLLEGIATE
T1. Arizona (275, -9)
T1. Baylor (275, -9)
3. St. Mary's (283, -1)
4. Washington (284, E)
5. Mississippi State (285, +1)
6. Louisiana Monroe (287, +3)
T7. Washington State (288, +4)
T7. Iowa State (288, +4)
9. University of Texas El Paso (UTEP) (290, +6)
10. Long Beach State (291, +7)
T11. Little Rock (293, +9)
T11. New Mexico (293, +9)
T11. University of Texas San Antonio (UTSA) (293, +9)
14. New Mexico State (307, +23)

Mississippi State
T4. Garrett Johnson (68)
T17. Hunter Logan (71)
T30. Peng Pichaikool (72)
T47. Ford Clegg (74)
T67. Austin Vukovits (76)

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