BYU Struggles in the First Round of the NCAA Golf Championships

OPELIKA -- Just one week after finishing runner-up at the NCAA West Regional, the No. 6-ranked BYU golf team struggled in the opening round of the NCAA Golf Championships finishing the day with an 11-over-par 298.

Playing in the afternoon round, the Cougars struggled to get anything going making the turn with a team score of six-over-par. Things did not get much better for BYU on the back nine as the Cougars posted an 18-hole total of 298 on the 7,003-yard par 72 Grand National Lake Course of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. The Cougars are tied for 25th heading into Thursday's second round. The 30-team field, which features 19 of the Nation's top 25 teams, will be cut to 15 schools for the final two rounds on Friday and Saturday. The Cougars find themselves nine shots off the pace to make the 36-hole cut.

"We're all surprised we didn't play better," said BYU head coach Bruce Brockbank. "We just flat out didn't play well. We'll have to play real well tomorrow if we plan to make the cut for the weekend. But if there is a team that can get back into contention it's this one."

BYU was lead by senior Jose Garrido who finished the day with a 73. Garrido carded a 2-under-par 34 on the front, but bogeys on the last

three holes dropped him back to 1-over-par.

Rounding out the scoring was sophomore Manuel Merizalde at 37-38-75, junior Billy Harvey at 40-35-75 and senior Andy Miller at 37-39-76. Scott Miller, a junior, finished at 38-39-77 and did not count in the scoring.

Texas leads the 30-team field with an opening round 272, an amazing 16-under-par. Rounding out the top five are Georgia Tech at 280, Oklahoma State at 281, Houston at 284, with UNLV, Arizona, East Tennessee State and UNLV all tied for fifth at 286.

In the individual scoring, David Cossett of Texas tied the Grand National Lake Course record with an opening round 32-31--63. Gossett's 63, ties Phil Mickelson (Arizona State in 1992) and Jim Begwin (Oklahoma in 1984) for the lowest par-72 round in NCAA Championship history. Gossett, the 1999 U.S. Amateur Champion, is followed by J.J. Wall of Texas at 31-34-65, Chris Wisler of East Tennessee State at 32-35-67, Matt Kuchar of Georgia Tech at 34-33-67 and Charles Howell of Oklahoma

State at 33-34-67.

BYU Scores
Jose Garrido             	34-39--73
Manuel Merizalde    		37-35--75
Billy Harvey             	40-35--75
Andy Miller             	37-39--76
Scott Miller              	38-39--77
Team Scores
1. Texas, 272
2. Georgia Tech, 280
3. Oklahoma State, 281
4. Houston, 284
5. UNLV, 286
   Arizona, 286
   East Tennessee State, 286
   UNLV, 286
9. Northwestern, 287
10.Kent State, 288
   Mississippi State, 288
   North Carolina, 288
13. TCU, 289
14. Auburn, 290
    Minnesota, 290
16  Clemson, 291
    Kansas, 291
18  Georgia, 292
    Wake Forest, 292
20. Fresno State, 293
21. Oklahoma, 294
    North Florida, 294
23. Pepperdine, 295
    Georgia State, 295
25. BYU, 299
    Arizona State, 299
    Southern California, 299
    Virginia, 299
29. California, 300
30. Washington, 301
Top Ten Individual Scores
1.David Gossett, Texas, 32-31--63
2.J.J. Wall, Texas, 31-34--65
3.Chris Wisler, East Tennessee State, 32-35--67
  Matt Kuchar, Georgia Tech,  34-33--67
  Charles Howell, Oklahoma State, 33-34--67
6.Driscoll, Virginia, 35-33--68
  Joel Hendry, New Mexico, 34-34--68
8.Bryce Molder, Georgia Tech, 33-36--69
Ben Smith, Mississippi State, 34-35--69
Brad Hyler, North Carolina, 35-24--69
Jess Daley, Northwestern, 34-35--69
Jeremy Anderson, UNLV, 33-36--69