ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Sophomore Wilson Furr carded a 1-under par 69 to lead the No. 25 Alabama men’s golf team during Wednesday’s opening round of the 2019 Southeastern Conference Championships. As a team, the Crimson Tide finished the day in 14th position with a 12-over par 292 on the par-70, 7,005-yard Sea Island Golf Club’s Seaside Course.
UA, one of 10 teams in a stacked SEC field that is ranked among the top-40 teams in the nation, currently finds itself on the outside looking in for one of the coveted top-eight spots to qualify for match play, which begins on Saturday morning. The final 36 holes of match play – 18 holes on Thursday and Friday – will determine the cut line and seeding heading into this weekend’s action.
Furr, coming off his first collegiate tournament win when he captured medalist honors at the Shoal Creek Invitational last week, continued his stellar play as he collected four birdies and three bogeys to earn his team-leading 10th round in the 60s this year and third over his last four times he has teed it up.
Freshman Prescott Butler also had a solid round, finishing with a 1-over par 71 on the day. He will enter Thursday’s second round in a tie for 31st overall. Junior Josh Sedeno and sophomore Jake DeZoort are tied for 63rd overall with both carding a 76, while freshman Frankie Capan III rounds out the Crimson Tide golfers in 68th with a 77.
Co-leaders No. 13 Auburn and No. 16 Georgia each carded team scores of 8-under par 272 to own a three-stroke lead over Ole Miss and Kentucky, who are tied for third at 5-under 275. Fourth-ranked Vanderbilt (277), No. 15 South Carolina (279) and No. 22 Tennessee (280) round out the top-seven teams. Texas A&M, ranked No. 27, and Arkansas, ranked No. 37, are tied for the eighth spot with both carding a 1-over par 281 on the day.
Alabama will tee off Thursday’s second round at 7:10 a.m., paired with No. 40 Florida.
