GREENWOOD, S.C. --- Tusculum freshman Nicholas Taggart posted a two-under par total of 142 and is tied for 14th place after day one action of the 2023 Bearcat Classic. The two-day, 54-hole tournament is being held at the 6,800-yard, par-72 Greenwood Country Club and hosted by Lander University.
It was a tale of two rounds for the Tusculum men's golf team on Monday. The Pioneers came out blazing and posted a season-low round of 283 (-5) in their opening 18 holes, led by Taggart's career-best 65 (-7). But it has been different story for the Black & Orange in the second round as TU shot 305 and are in 14th place with 36-hole total of 588 (+12).
Second round play was suspended due to darkness and will be completed Tuesday morning followed by final 18 holes of the event.
This year's 19-team field includes eight ranked teams in the Golfstat national rankings including No. 1 Anderson.
Tusculum and Anderson were tied for second place after the first 18 holes and as the Pioneers and Trojans were five shots behind host Lander who posted a sizzling 10-under par 278.
But it has been all Anderson in the second round as the Trojans are 12-under par for their round and -17 for the tournament and are in first place. Lander is second with -8, followed by Barton (-7), Clayton State (-5), Findlay (-3), Newberry (-2, 574), Coker (+1), Belmont Abbey (+2, 578), Wingate (+2, 578), Lenoir-Rhyne (+6), Lander B (+6, 582), West Georgia (+7, 583), Flagler (+8), Tusculum (+12, 588), Erskine (+13), King (+13, 589), Georgia College (+14, 590), Young Harris (+21, 597) and North Greenville (+22, 598).
Taggart logged an efficient scorecard for his opening round as he posted seven birdies and 11 pars for his 65, which is tied for the second-lowest 18-hole score in program history. His -7 score to par matches the TU record with Brad Hawkins who shot a seven-under par 63 at the 2015 Pioneer Classic. Taggart's 65 had him in second place and one shot behind Lander's Edward Rahm, who shot 64 (-8) as his round included seven birdies, an eagle, a bogey and nine pars. Rahm has the 36-hole lead with is eight-under 136.
Tusculum's Blake Williams is tied for 48th place with 74-73=147 (+3). Riley Brown is in 79th place with a six-over par total 150 for his 36 holes. He opened with a one-under par round of 71 as he finished with four birdies, three bogeys and 11 pars.
Thomas Kollberg shot 73-78=151 and is tied for 85th place and Liam van Deventer carded consecutive rounds of 77 for his 154 (T95th).
TU's Cole Haygood, who is competing as an individual competitor, shot 74-75=149 and is tied for 64th.
