CALLAWASSIE ISLAND, S.C. – Creighton, registering its best team score in conference tournament round since 2012, has grabbed the first-round lead at the BIG EAST Men’s Golf Championship Presented by Jeep, at the Callawassie Island Golf Club. The Bluejays posted a team score of 298 and are three strokes ahead of second-place DePaul. Last year, Creighton finished last among the nine league teams.
In windy conditions, Creighton senior Brad Keyer made his way to the top of the leaderboard with an even-par 72. His scorecard included 10 pars, four birdies and four bogeys. The Bluejays’ team score of 298 is the program’s best in BIG EAST Championship play by six strokes. Senior Koy Potthoff and sophomore Nate Vontz are in a six-way tie for seventh place at 75. Going into the Championship, Creighton was ranked eighth among nine BIG EAST team by GolfStat.
After Creighton and DePaul in the team standings, Marquette holds third place at 303 (+15), five strokes behind Creighton. Butler is one stroke behind Marquette in fourth at 304 (+16). Villanova is fifth at 309 (+21) with Seton Hall sixth at 311 (+23). Georgetown is seventh at 312 (+24) followed by Xavier at 316 (+28) and St. John’s at 322 (+34).
Georgetown and Marquette have alternated winning the last four BIG EAST Championships. Georgetown won in 2018 and 2016. Marquette won in 2017 and 2015.
After Keyer, there is a four-way tie for second place at one-over-par 73 among Butler’s Patrick Allgeier and Logan Sabins, DePaul’s Charlie Spencer-White and Villanova’s Mark Benevento. DePaul sophomore Joey McCarthy is in sixth place with a 3-over-par 75.
Marquette sophomore Hunter Eichhorn, last year’s individual champion, is a part of the six-player logjam at 3-over-par 75 along with Creighton’s Potthoff and Vontz, Marquette’s Matt Murlick, Georgetown’s Eduardo Blochtein and Xavier’s Garrett Wood.
The second round of the BIG EAST Championship begins Saturday at 8 a.m. ET. The BIG EAST team winner earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. Should the individual champion not be a member of the championship team, he will also earn a spot in the NCAA Championship field as an individual.
Team Scores – First Round
1. Creighton 298 (+10)
2. DePaul 301 (+13)
3. Marquette 303 (+15)
4. Butler 304 (+16)
5. Villanova 309 (+21)
6. Seton Hall 311 (+23)
7. Georgetown 312 (+24)
8. Xavier 316 (+28)
9. St. John’s 323 (+35)
Top Individual Scores – First Round
1. Brad Keyer, Creighton 72
T2. Mark Benevento, Villanova 73
T2. Logan Sabins, Butler 73
T2. Patrick Allgeier, Butler 73
T2. Charlie Spencer-White, DePaul 73
6. Joey McCarthy, DePaul 74
T7. Nate Vontz, Creighton 75
T7. Koy Potthoff, Creighton 75
T7. Garrett Wood, Xavier 75
T7. Matt Murlick, Marquette 75
T7. Eduardo Blochtein, Georgetown 75
T7. Hunter Eichhorn, Marquette 75
Saturday Tee Times
8:00 – Gerald Mackedon, St. John’s, Hunter Roberts, Xavier; Noah Moss, Georgetown
8:10 – Adrew Baek, St. John’s; Nick Frey, Xavier; William O’Neill, Georgtown
8:20 – Tyler Gerbavsits, St. John’s; Imaad Qureshi, Xavier; Hardin Councill, Georgeown
8:30 – Ross Moore St. John’s; Martin Jaramillo, Xavier; Patrick DiPasquale, Georgetown
8:40 – Austin Briggs, St. John’s; Garrett Wood, Xaiver; Eduardo Blochtein, Georgetown
8:50 – Gregor Tait, Seton Hall; Danny Dougherty, Villanova; Augie Hartnagel, Butler
9:00 – Andres Acevedo, Seton Hall; Matt Davis, Villanova; Michael Cascino, Butler
9:10 – Gen Nagai, Seton Hall; Reb Banas, Villanova; Raymond Sullivan, Butler
9:20 – Deven Ramachandran, Seton Hall; Connor Daly, Villanova; Logan Sabins, Butler
9:30 – Chris Yeom, Seton Hall; Mark Benevento, Villanova; Patrick Allgeier, Butler
9:40 – Tyler Leach, Marquette; Grant Boyson, DePaul; Andrew McCormick, Creighton
9:50 – Oliver Farrell, Marquette; Nik Gatmaytan, DePaul; Tucker Knaak, Creighton
10:00 – Austin Kendziorski, Marquette; Campbell Wolf, DePaul; Nate Vontz, Creighton
10:10 – Matt Murlick, Marquette; Joey McCarthy, DePaul; Koy Potthoff, Creighton
10:20 – Hunter Eichhorn, Marquette; Charlie Spencer-White, DePaul; Brad Keyer, Creighton