CORVALLIS, Ore. – Four players recorded under-par rounds and the eighth-seeded Purdue men’s golf team pieced together its lowest round in NCAA Championships competition to take the 18-hole lead at the NCAA Corvallis Regional held at Trysting Tree Golf Club.
The Boilermakers fired a 12-under par 272 to lead No. 6-ranked Arkansas and No. 17-ranked Oklahoma by three shots entering tomorrow’s second round. Host Oregon State is fourth at 8-under par, while No. 19 Charlotte and San Diego are tied for fifth at 4-under par.
The top five finishers after Wednesday’s third round will advance to the NCAA National Championships on May 28 to June 3 at the La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California.
After a slow start, the Boilermakers picked up in the middle and late part of the round. The four counting members only had five bogeys between them and recorded 17 birdies. Purdue led the field in par-3 scoring and the entire squad recorded just 10 bogeys, the fewest among the field.
Purdue’s 272 was its lowest in NCAA play in school history, bettering the mark of 275 (-5) set at the NCAA Pullman Regional in 2019. The score of 272 is tied for the 10th-lowest round in Purdue history.
Leading the charge in round one were Sam Easterbrook and Kentaro Nanayama, both tied for second at 4-under par 67, good for the ninth-best individual score in NCAA competition.
Easterbrook started fast with three birdies on his first six holes. After a bogey on eight, he birdied holes 11 and 16 for his opening-round 67 – his ninth round in the 60s this year.
Nanayama also started fast, matching Easterbrook with birdies on three of his first six holes as well. After a three-putt bogey on hole 9, Nanayama birdied 14 and 17 to finish with his 67, matching his lowest round of the season.
Supapon Amornchaichan fired a 3-under par 68 to sit in seventh after 18 holes. Amornchaichan birdied holes 5, 7 and 10, but suffered a bogey on 13 to fall back to 2-under par. He finished his round with a birdie on 18 for his opening-round 68.
In eight rounds in NCAA competition, Amornchaichan is 5-under par, finishing 15th at last year’s Regional and ninth at the National Championships.
Playing in his first NCAA action, Will Harvey bounced back from a slow start to shoot a 1-under par 70, good for a tie for 21st. Harvey was 1-over par through 12 holes, but birdied 13 and 16 for his 13th round of par or better this season.
Jenson Forrester shot a 4-over par 75 to sit in 73rd place after 18 holes.
Purdue will tee of round two at 10:30 to 11:14 a.m. ET / 7:30 a.m. to 8:14 a.m. PT off hole one and be paired with Arkansas and Oklahoma.