PRINCEVILLE — Joshua McCarthy of Pepperdine landed in the sand on the Princeville Makai Golf Club No. 9 and carded his sole bogey of the day Sunday when the Warrior Princeville Makai Invitational golf tournament got underway following an hour’s delay due to rain.
McCarthy picked up seven birdies to make up for the lost stroke to finish the opening day at six-under 66 (34-32) at the Makai Golf Club at Princeville that played to 7,223 yards.
He leads Pepperdine, which holds the lead in the team standings at 273, three strokes better than Ole Miss. Ole Miss finished at 276, led by Josh Seiple, who finished the day a stroke better than McCarthy. Ole Miss’s Beau Briggs also carded a 66.
Seiple finished the round at 65 (36-29) after finishing the front nine even par, then picking up an eagle on No. 14 and five birdies spread out over the back nine.
Host University of Hawaii finished the opening round in 20th place, with Justin Arcano setting the pace on a one-over 73 (39-34). Justin Ngan (37-38) and Nikolaus Nelson (40-35) are tied 75, followed by Cameron Kaneko at 76 for the Rainbows.
Kauai native Bryden Salvador is playing as an individualist, and finished the opening round at 83.
This is the fifth year the UH men’s golf team has hosted the pair of competitive Neighbor Island tournaments that will bring 20 teams ranked in the Top 100 to the state.
Pepperdine is ranked seventh nationally. Oklahoma is also ranked No. 7 and will be appearing when the Hawaii team wings to Maui for the 5th annual Kaanapali Classic Collegiate Invitation that will contest Nov. 2-4.
Louisville, the current defending Princeville champion, finished tied for eighth with Missouri at 286. Simon Zack finished one-over 73 (38-35) to lead Louisville.
The rest of the field includes Army, Cal Poly, Cal State Fullerton, Denver, East Tennessee State, Louisiana, Loyola Marymount, McNeese State, Missouri, Purdue, Sam Houston State, San Diego, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Missouri at Kansas City and Utah Valley.
Play continues through Tuesday at the Makai Golf Club at Princeville with a shotgun starts today and tomorrow at 8 a.m.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
