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<b><span style="font-size:9.0pt; font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif; text-decoration:none">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS- May 24, 2024</span></b></h1>
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<b><span style="font-size:13.0pt; font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif; font-style:normal">Baylor MGOLF tied for 12th Place After a Solid First Day at La Costa
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<b><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif; font-style:normal">BU’s Keefer cards 2-under 70 to set the pace for the Bears</span></b></h2>
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<b><span style="font-size:9.0pt; font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">For more information, contact
</span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt; font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Matt Roberts, 254-227-2280,
</span><a href="mailto:WM_Roberts@Baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:9.0pt; font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">WM_Roberts@Baylor.edu</span></a><span style="font-size:9.0pt; font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"></span></h2>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; background: repeat white; color: black;">CARLSBAD, Calif.
</span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; background: repeat white; font-weight: normal; color: black;">– Baylor men’s golf used a 9-over 297 to settle into a tie for
<span class="SpellE">12th</span> on Friday during the opening round of the NCAA Championship at La Costa.</span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; background: repeat white; color: black;"></span></strong></p>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; background: repeat white; font-weight: normal; color: black;">Johnny Keefer led the way for the Bears in the first round with a 2-under 70 good enough to tie for fifth, just three shots back of the individual
leader, Hiroshi Tai of Georgia Tech.</span></strong></p>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; background: repeat white; font-weight: normal; color: black;">Tied for the third-best round of the morning wave, the Bears are in the mix to claim one of the 15 spots ahead of Sunday’s 54-hole cut as just
six shots separate positions 7-20. Virginia and Arizona share the overnight lead after posting a pair of 2-over 290s.
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<b><u><span style="background: repeat white; color: black;">THE RUNDOWN </span></u></b></p>
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<span style="background: repeat white; color: black;">Starting on the more difficult back nine, Keefer opened with six-straight pars before closing his outward half with birdies at Nos. 16 and 18. The senior reached 3-under with a birdie at No. 1, and he would
stay there until a bogey at No. 8 dropped him back to 2-under for the day.</span></p>
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<span style="background: repeat white; color: black;">Davis <span class="SpellE">
Ovard</span> showed no signs of nerves in his first NCAA Championship round, carding a 1-over 73 to tie for 25th. After five pars to start his round, the freshman broke into red figures with a birdie at No. 15 to make the turn with a 1-under 35. He stayed steady
on the second nine with five more pars until back-to-back bogeys dropped him back over par, where he would finish the day.</span></p>
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<span style="background: repeat white; color: black;">Tyler <span class="SpellE">
Isenhart</span> shot a 4-over 76 to finish round one in a tie for 81st. The senior played his first eight holes at 7-over after bogeys at Nos. 12, 14, 15 and 17 around a triple-bogey at No. 13. A birdie at No. 18 seemed to kick-start his round as he made an
eagle at No. 4. After a final bogey at No. 8, he made the first birdie of the day at No. 9.</span></p>
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<span style="background: repeat white; color: black;">Zach Heffernan tied for 112<sup>th</sup> with a 6-over 78. After a couple of bogeys at Nos. 13 and 15, the junior closed his outward nine with a birdie at No. 18 to turn with a 1-over 37. He played the first
five holes of the inward half at 5-over par but settled in with four-straight pars to close the day.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><span style="background: repeat white; color: black;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Jonas Appel shot a 14-over 86 in his NCAA Championship debut, tying him for 151</span><span style="font-size: 12.222222px;">st</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">.
Appel shot a 5-over 41 on his first nine with a bogey at No. 13 and double bogeys at Nos. 14 and 17. He finished with a second-nine 45 to card an 86 on Friday.
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<b><u><span style="background: repeat white; color: black;">HIGHLIGHTS</span></u></b></p>
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<span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; background: repeat white;">Baylor’s opening-round 297 was its best opening round at the NCAA Championship since a 297 at the opening round of the 2018 NCAA Championship at Karsten Creek.</span></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Courier; color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; background: repeat white;">Keefer’s 2-under 70 was his second under-par round at the NCAA Championship.</span></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Courier; color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; background: repeat white;">Keefer was one of 15 players to shoot under par on Friday.</span></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Courier; color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; background: repeat white;">Davis <span class="SpellE">
Ovard’s</span> 73 was the lowest round by a BU freshman in an NCAA tournament debut since Cooper Dossey shot a 72 in the opening round of the 2017 NCAA Championship.</span></li></ul>
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<b><u><span style="background: repeat white; color: black;"><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></span></u></b></p>
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<b><u><span style="background: repeat white; color: black;">QUOTABLE</span></u></b></p>
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<i><span style="background: repeat white; color: black;">Head Coach Mike McGraw on the first round —</span></i><span style="background: repeat white; color: black;">
<strong><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif; font-weight:normal">“I think we left shots out there, there's no doubt about that. But the good news is, we haven't blown ourselves out of the tournament, so we’ll sleep on it and get some good rest and energy
back. I think a good round tomorrow afternoon will put us right where we need to be. I'm not happy with the round, but I'm not disappointed either. I think the guys all know they left a few out there, and that's okay. We'll be back ready to go tomorrow.”</span></strong></span></p>
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<b><u><span style="background: repeat white; color: black;">WHAT’S NEXT</span></u></b></p>
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<span style="background: repeat white; color: black;">The Bears will play alongside Notre Dame and Ohio State once again in round two, beginning at 2:55 p.m. CT. Live scoring and stats for each round can be found at
</span><a href="https://results.golfstat.com/public/leaderboards/gsnav.cfm?pg=participants&tid=29187"><span style="background: repeat white;">Golfstat.com.</span></a><span style="background: repeat white; color: black;">
</span><span style="">For more information on Baylor Men’s Golf, follow @BaylorMGolf on X, Instagram and Facebook.<span style="background: repeat white; color: black;">
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<i><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">—BaylorBears.com—</span></i><i><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"></span></i></p>
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<a name="_MailAutoSig"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black;">Matt Roberts | Associate Director of Athletic Communications (MBB/MGOLF/ WGOLF) <br>
Department of Athletics | Baylor University<br>
C: 254-227-2280</span></a><span style=""><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(33, 33, 33);"></span></span></p>
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