Sun Devils turn to Wind Devils; <br>UNF looking for rally - University of North Florida Athletics

Sunday, February 22

Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

All Day

University of North Florida

John Hayt Collegiate Invitational

J.C. Horne led the Ospreys with a round of 74.

Sun Devils turn to Wind Devils;
UNF looking for rally

2/22/2009 4:36:13 PM | Men's Golf

Arizona State leads Hayt Collegiate, Ospreys 11th

By: Shawn LaFata

Tournament Home Page

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 22, 2009) – The wind blew hard and the teeth of Sawgrass Country Club came out on Sunday during the first round of the John Hayt Collegiate Invitational.

Arizona State – making its first appearance at the tournament – was able to battle through the gusty winds to claim the first round lead with a score of 290 (+2). James Byrne set the pace for the Sun Devils with a 4-under-par 68 to claim the first round lead by three strokes over Coastal Carolina's Zack Byrd and LSU's John Peterson. Those were the only three players under par Sunday.

Host UNF is tied for 11^th after one day of play, shooting a score of 305 (+17). J.C. Horne led the Ospreys on a day where the winds blew consistently near 15 mph, while gusting to 25 mph at times. Horne opened his day with a pair of birdies on the front nine, sinking a 25-foot putt to close his opening nine holes before going 3-over-par on the back nine to shoot 74. That number has Horne tied for 12^th with a group of 11 others.

Jeff Dennis and Chris Kennedy each shot 76 to follow Horne and are tied for 32^nd along with Major Forbess who was competing as an individual. Joe Byun is tied for 64^th after shooting a 79, while Jordan Gibb shot 82.

Kevin Aylwin, also competing as an individual, shot 80.

Byrne's day included a 30-foot putt from the fringe of the green for birdie on the fifth hole that he followed with a 40 foot putt for birdie on the sixth. He followed that up with an eagle on the par 5 eighth hole before closing the back nine with a pair of bogeys that he countered with birdies on both par 5s. Byrne was 4-under-par on the par 5s.

Byrd was stuck at 1-over-par through 17 holes before an eagle on the 18^th hole put him under par for the first time on the day since he birdied the opening hole.

Byrd and Peterson will have no time to get comfortable once Monday's second round begins, not with a group of 31 players sitting within at least three strokes of the duo. That group includes Tennessee's Chris Paisley, the 18^th-ranked player in the nation, and the highest ranked player in the top 10. Paisley is tied for ninth after shooting a 73.

Two-time defending champion Alabama will need to rally to bring home a third-straight title from Sawgrass Country Club. The Crimson Tide opened play with a 307 and sit alone in 13^th place.

LSU (+8) trails Arizona State by eight strokes in the team competition with Georgia Southern (+10), UAB (+10), Tennessee (+11) and Georgia State (+11) not far behind.

Round two action begins Monday, with the first wave of groups teeing off at 8 a.m.

Quotable

Arizona State Sophomore James Byrne

I had a disappointing fall. Our team is very deep and once you are able to get a spot you have to work hard to secure it. I'm from Scotland, so I am used to playing in these types of winds. The key is to read the wind and play against it. Anything less than a 68 would have been disappointing today because I got off to such a good start.

UNF head coach Scott Schroeder

We are disappointed because we didn't play better but we survived. Two good rounds and we can get ourselves back into the tournament.

UNF junior J.C. Horne

I hit it well and putted well today. It was tough, the greens were firm and fast and the wind was blowing everything around. The wind was up even more on the back. One little mistake and things can escalate fast on you out there.