Senior Clark Akers and sophomore Ludvig Josefsson each shot a one-under-par 70 to tie for 11th place, leading the Furman men’s golf team in the opening round of the Southern Conference Championship at Solina Golf Club in West Columbia, South Carolina on April 27.
The performance by Akers and Josefsson puts them four strokes behind individual leaders Nathan Trodd of Mercer and Camden Braidech of Chattanooga, who both posted an opening-round score of five-under-par 66. The Furman team finished the day with a combined score of one-over-par, placing them fifth overall among competing schools.
Akers, from Nashville, Tennessee, made an eagle on the par-6 sixth hole and collected three more birdies on the back nine. Josefsson, from Hestra, Sweden, recorded consecutive birdies on holes eleven and twelve before finishing his round with a fourth birdie at seventeen. Sophomore David Oliver IV finished even par to tie for fifteenth place after making four birdies during his round.
Chattanooga leads the tournament at nine under par after day one. Western Carolina is five shots back at four under par. East Tennessee State sits third at two under par while Samford holds fourth place at one under par—two strokes ahead of Furman.
The second round will begin Tuesday morning with twosomes starting from both hole number one and ten. Furman is scheduled to start play from hole ten alongside Mercer. The team winner will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Regional tournament; additionally, the individual champion will also qualify automatically for regionals. Live scoring updates are available online and admission remains free for spectators.
