Liu Leads Men's Golf on First Day at Matthews Collegiate

Sunday, October 3

Apalachin, N.Y. / The Links at Hiawatha Landing

11:00 AM

Dartmouth College

Matthews Auto Collegiate

Captain Jason Liu

Photo by: Bryan LaFountaine

Liu Leads Men's Golf on First Day at Matthews Collegiate

10/3/2021 9:20:00 PM | Men's Golf

Results

The team captain is tied for third at 3-under following the first round of action

By: Rick Bender

APALACHIN, N.Y. — Dartmouth team captain Jason Liu played a brilliant first round at the Matthews Auto Collegiate Invitational on Sunday, carding a 3-under 69 to sit in a tie for third place, just one stroke off the pace. As a team, the Big Green finished the day 7-over par (295) to tie Cornell for sixth. Mount St. Mary's holds the lead in the standings with a 4-under 284, two strokes ahead of both Colgate and Temple.

Liu nearly played a mistake-free round at 7,159-yard, par-72 course at The Links at Hiawatha Landing with four birdies and just one single bogey. The grad student began the day dropping a birdie on the par-4 first hole, then made par for the next seven holes before scoring another birdie on the par-5 ninth. Although he began the back nine with his lone bogey, he settled right back in and finished his first 18 with birdies on a long par-4 on 15 and the par-5 18th hole to conclude his round.

Liu was not the only Dartmouth golfer to play well on Sunday as Mark Turner recovered from a slow start to wrap up the round at even par. The senior bogeyed the first two holes before sinking a birdie on the par-4 fifth. Although he immediately suffered another bogey on six, Turner did not have another mishap on the course with two more birdies on the ninth and the par-5 12th holes. By playing the final nine at 1-under, he found himself tied for 13th at the end of the day.

Senior Charles Petrie and sophomore Alex Gu each posted a 77 (+5) to tie for 53rd as Petrie had 13 pars and a birdie on 18 in his round. Gu had more of a roller-coaster ride with four birdies (three on the first seven holes) and eight pars. Rounding out the Big Green team was freshman Eli Kimche in a tie for 59th in the 82-player field with a 78 (+6), though he was just 2-over through 15 holes.

Also playing as an independent was freshman Charlie Baker who had an eventful day, tying for the most birdies by any player in the field with six. But he also had just four pars and finished up with a 3-over 75, tied for 39th.

Justin Lane of host Binghamton and Devin Smith of Mount St. Mary's share the lead at 4-under par while Liu and five others are right on their heels at 3-under.

Play resumes tomorrow morning with the Dartmouth contingency teeing off at 9:45 a.m. with the host school and Saint Joseph's.