Mustangs in 12th After Day One of Gopher Invitational

Freshman Daniel Connolly leads the way at T16

INDEPENDENCE, Minn. (SMU) – The SMU men's golf team is in 12th place at the Gopher Invitational after posting a two round 24-over 592 Saturday. San Diego State leads the field at 3-over (571), while Oklahoma (+4, 572) and Arkansas (+5, 573) round off the top three.

"Our first round was a bit disappointing, considering how well I thought our guys have been playing," SMU head coach Jason Enloe said. "However, they all bounced back and played much better this afternoon. I am proud of that and I know the guys will come out tomorrow and compete for a decent finish."

Freshman Daniel Connolly led the Mustangs on day one and is tied for 16th overall after carding a 2-over 144. After shooting a 2-over 73 in the opening round, the San Francisco native fired an even (71) second round. Connolly, the winner of the 100th San Francisco City Championship, carded his first collegiate birdie on the eighth hole, a 443-yard, par 5. He finished with two birdies.

Alex Higgs finished the day with a 5-over 147 to finish tied for 34th. The senior opened the day with a 1-over 72 in the opening round. He posted three birdies on the day. Fellow senior Andrew Buchanan birdied the final two holes of the day to finish tied for 46th with an 8-over 150. Buchanan finished with five birdies. In his collegiate debut, freshman Jackson Markham posted the Mustangs' final counting score with a 10-over 152. Markham finished tied for 56th, and tallied three birdies in his collegiate debut.

Down the road in Maple Pines, Minn., at the Gopher Individual tournament, freshman Dillon Baxter is tied for 25th with a two-round 11-over 155. In the second round, the newcomer recorded his first collegiate birdie on the ninth hole, a 558-yard, par 5. He finished the day with three birdies.

Both the Gopher Invitational and Gopher Individual conclude Sunday with the final round of action. Live results can be found at golfstat.com. Full results and recap from the day will be posted at SMUMustangs.com at the conclusion of the tournament.