Hokie ClubThe Virginia Tech men’s golf team shot an opening round 15-over 299 and is in 15th place at the Puerto Rico Classic on Sunday. The three-day event is being played at the par 71, 6,716-yard Ocean Course at the Westin Rio Mar Country Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.
Connor Burgess, a freshman from Lynchburg, Virginia, leads the Hokies at 1-under 70. Burgess is tied for 21st place and is eight strokes behind leader Stephen Franken on NC State. Burgess had five birdies in his first round.
Mark Lawrence Jr., a junior from Richmond, Virginia, is tied for 48th place at 3-over 71 and Ian Hildebrand, a senior from Purcellville, Virginia, is tied for 55th place at 75. Dan Woodbury, a senior from Upton, Massachusetts, is tied for 71st at 80 and Blake Fiest, a junior from Huntersville, North Carolina, is in 75th place with an 82.
Oklahoma leads the event with a 10-under 274, two strokes ahead of NC State and Georgia Tech. Host Purdue is fourth at 277, Clemson and East Carolina are tied for fifth at 284, Alabama is seventh at 286, Georgia is eighth at 288, Middle Tennessee State is ninth at 289 and Maryland is 10th at 291. Ohio State is 11th at 293, Marquette and UNC Greensboro are tied for 12th at 294 and Kentucky is 14th at 295, four strokes ahead of the Hokies.
The tournament was moved from its traditional home River Course at Rio Mar, due to damage from Hurricane Maria. The second round will be played Monday morning and the final round will be Tuesday morning. Live stats are available on Hokiesports.com, via a link from Golfstat.com.