Catawba College

Okatie, S.C. – The Catawba Men's Golf team was in action at the Oldfield Golf Club on Monday, competing in the first two rounds of the Monument Golf Oldfield Classic and ending the first of two days of play T-8th with an overall score of +32, 608 

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• Paul Esnault was excellent on Monday, climbing the standings throughout play on the way to eventually finishing at T-8th with a score of +2, 140. Esnault's solid day began with a +2, 74 opening ledger, where he posted five birdies and eight pars over the first 18 holes. Three of those birdies came over the back-nine, as part of a stretch between holes 10 and 15 where he also tallied three pars. Esnault's second round was even better, as he shot -1, 66 in some of his best golf of the season. On the front-nine, Esnault holed a birdie and six pars for a +1, 32 ledger. His back-nine, a -2, 34, featured an eagle, three birdies, and four pars, with the only blemish being a triple bogey on hole 13. Despite that, Esnault's overall strong performance placed him firmly in contention going into Tuesday 

• Connor Carter would also put together one of his strongest days of the season, finishing Monday T-16th with a +4, 148 ledger after the opening two rounds. Carter's first round numbers were even better than Esnault, as he notched four birdies and 10 pars on the way to a +1, 73 outing. While he'd slide slightly in the second round, Connor was excellent between holes three through 14, tallying three birdies and nine pars as part of a +3, 75 overall frame 

• Justin Nagy rose after a solid second round, finishing T-28th with an overall score of +7, 151. Nagy would shoot a +5, 77 in the opening round with a birdie and 13 pars, but would really hit his stride in the second frame; three birdies and 10 pars earned him a +2, 74 over the last 18 holes of the day. Nagy's best stretch came during the front-nine of the second round, where he notched two birdies and five pars for an E, 36 stretch  

• Luke Nelson ended Monday T-53rd at +14, 158 following the first two rounds. Nelson's day began with a tough +9, 81 over the first eighteen holes, but similar to Nagy he'd improve as play went on. Nelson's second round would see him shoot a +5, 77, featuring Catawba's second eagle of the day to go along with three birdies as he tallied a +3, 39 over the front-nine and a +2, 36 over the back-nine 

• Hayden Mincey would finish +16, 160 and in in T-58th after the first day of play. Mincey's first round would end +10, 82 after a pair of +5, 41 frames, though he was able to rise several spots following a second round where he shot +6, 78. Mincey's best play came during the front-nine of the second round, where he tallied eight pars; he would also add two birdies over the back-nine 

• Ryan Masterton ended Monday T-62nd with a score of +17, 161. Masterton's best golf came during the front-nine of the opening round, where he notched a birdie and five pars on the way to a +7, 79 round. In the second frame, Masterton would finish with a +10, 82 to close out the day 

• Tanner Frye would finish the opening day of action T-78th with a score of +31, 175 

NOTES

• Esnault's eagle was his first of the season, becoming the fifth Catawba player this season to score one. For Nelson, his eagle would be his second this season after potting one in the Bulldog Clash in February 

• This was the first time this season that Catawba players recorded two birdies during a tournament, as they were one of the three schools to record two or more on Monday 

• Catawba's 26 total birdies would be tied for fifth-most on Monday 

• Carter and Nagy would tie for fifth-best among players on Par 3's, with a score of +1 and an average of 3.13 

• Esnault would tie for first among players on Par 4's, at -1/3.95 

• Esnault and Carter would tie for second and third among players on Par 5's, at -5/4.38 and -4/4.50, respectively 

• Nagy's 23 pars would be tied for fifth-most, with Carter not too far behind with 21 of his own 

• Esnault's 9 birdies were tied for second-most, with Carter again second on the team with seven  

WHAT'S NEXT

- Catawba College Men's Golf returns to action on Tuesday, March 26th, as they compete in the third and final round of the Monument Golf Outfield Classic at the Oldfield Golf Club