Led by a 4-under par 68 from freshman Fredrik Nilehn, the No. 24 Kennesaw State men’s golf team is currently in sixth place at the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional that opened Thursday (May 14) at the UNC Finley Golf Course in Chapel Hill, N.C.
The Owls, who entered regional play as the No. 4 seed, carded a 1-under par 287 and are 12 shots behind Charlotte. The 49ers posted a 13-under par 275 and hold a six-shot advantage over second-place Florida (281). Top-ranked Florida State and Clemson (284) are tied for third and followed by host North Carolina (286).
“We played okay. I wouldn’t say that any of us are pleased with the round,” head Jay Moseley said. “We had a good solid day and in good position to have a better day tomorrow and clean up a few of the mistakes we made. I think overall we had a good mindset going into the round and probably didn’t capitalize on the opportunities we had today. All in all it was a good start.”
After opening with a 68, Nilehn is tied for third, two shots behind North Carolina’s William Register, who posted a 6-under 66, and one shot back of Clemson’s Billy Kennerly, who carded a 65.
Nilehn, competing in his first NCAA regional, shot 1-under on his opening nine before shooting 4-under on his back nine that included an eagle on the par-5 sixth hole and a closing birdie on the ninth.
“Fredrik was able to go and make some birdies and had an eagle on one of the finishing par 5s, so he did a good job of taking advantage of the scoring,” Moseley said.
Senior Jimmy Beck also turned in a solid first round, shooting a 1-under 71 and is tied for 20th. He finished his round in impressive fashion, recording back-to-back birdies on the seventh and eighth holes, draining a 30-foot putt on the par-3 eighth hole.
“Jimmy finished off his round really well and I was proud of that,” Moseley said. “He finished with a couple birdies which was good which will make him feel better.”
Senior Kelby Burton shot a 1-over 73 and is tied for 30th, while sophomore Teremoana Beaucousin(75) and senior Austin Vick (76) are tied for 50th and 59th, respectively.