DICKSON, Tenn. – The No. 15 Trinity Men's Golf team sits in fourth place after opening round play at the SAA Conference Championship, held at Greystone Golf Club. Trinity carded a two-over-par +2 on a par-72 layout stretching 6,826 yards, with a field scoring average of 74.63 underlining the challenge the course presented across the board.
Sewanee (TN) leads the field at -11, with Oglethorpe University (GA) in second at -5 and Centre College (KY) in third at +1. Rhodes College (TN) and Berry College (GA) were fifth and sixth at +5 and +11 respectively. Southwestern University (TX) and Millsaps College (MS) rounded out the field in seventh and eighth place. Trinity ranks tied first in total birdies with 24 – level with tournament leaders Sewanee – and ranks second in Par 4 scoring at -2, the second-best mark in the field.
The Rundown
Sam Rossi (Los Angeles, Calif. / Loyola) and
Ethan Sullivan (Norfolk, Mass. / King Philip) shared the best rounds of the day for Trinity, each carding an even-par 72 to sit tied for 10th in the field. Rossi was particularly clinical on the par 4s, ranking tied second in the field with an average of 3.80, and finished the round with 12 pars to rank tied fifth among all players. Sullivan matched him stroke for stroke, picking up five birdies on the day to tie for sixth in the field, with a composed back nine of 35 helping him finish level with the course.
Jeffrey Forster (Santa Barbara, Calif. / San Marcos) carded a one-over-par 73 (+1) to tie for 16th in the field. Forster recorded four birdies on the day and tied for second in Par 4 scoring alongside Rossi at 3.80, making the pair Trinity's most dependable contributors on the longer holes throughout the round.
Carter Code (Calgary, Alberta, Canada / Manning) also shot a one-over-par 73 (+1) to sit in a tie for 16th. Code led the entire field outright in birdies with six, and went out in 35 before a back nine of 38, showing a consistent attacking approach that kept him in contention throughout the day.
Aiden Marlow (San Antonio, Texas / Churchill) posted a two-over-par 74 (+2) to sit T20. Marlow recorded three birdies and put together a front nine of 34 before a tougher back nine of 40 on a course that proved demanding in the closing stretch.
Neel Sandhu (Southlake, Texas / Carroll) carded a four-over-par 76 (+4) to sit tied for 31st. Sandhu is tied second in Par 3 scoring across the entire field at 2.75, the second-best mark among all players, showing a precision on the short holes that was one of the standout individual stat lines of the day.
Looking Ahead
Trinity will return to action tomorrow for round two of the SAA Championship at Greystone GC, looking to climb the leaderboard and apply pressure to the teams ahead.
