INDIO, Calif. – Stepping out onto the course for the very first time as a collegiate player, Auburn men's golf freshman Reed Lotter fired a 5-under 67 in round one Monday at The Prestige to headline the 50-man field.
"I had a great time today making my debut," Lotter said. "My ball striking was extremely solid, and it was nice to see some putts fall. My goal the next two days remains the same — commit to each and every shot and then everything else will follow. Looking forward to getting after it for 36 more holes!"
The rookie's day started with a clean 33 on the front nine, making birdie on holes 4, 5, and 7. Lotter would then fight off a pair of bogeys on the home stretch with four more birdies on 12, 14, 15 and 17.
The outing for Lotter marks the best 18-hole performance in a career debut since 2012, when Jake Mondy fired a 67 in his first appearance as a Tiger at The McLaughlin. Mondy would go on win the event with a 202 (-8).
Senior Austin Coggin also made some waves out west with a 1-under 71 to begin his second outing of the spring. Through 13 holes, Coggin held at 2-over, however, a strong finish that included birdies on three of his last five holes saw the Birmingham product dip below par just before he entered the clubhouse.
Auburn's third individual golfer, Hal Dove, wrapped his day by carding a 78 (+6). Dove sits tied for 38th heading into Tuesday's round of competition.
"Obviously, Reed had a great round today, but I think there were things that all three guys did that they should be proud of," Tigers assistant coach Chris Williams said. "Our sport is just as mental as it is physical, and that's where I really want to push this group to grow this week. I'm looking forward to seeing what they can accomplish over these next two days."
For the middle 18 holes of action, the Tiger trio will once again be paired with players from Baylor and Kansas. Coggin will kickstart the day with a tee time of 9:30 a.m. CT.
All scoring from The Prestige can be found at GolfStat.com.
| Placement | Golfer | R1 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reed Lotter | 67 (-5) | 67 (-5) |
| T11 | Austin Coggin | 71 (-1) | 71 (-1) |
| T38 | Hal Dove | 78 (+6) | 78 (+6) |