STATESBORO, GA. –
Pontus Nyholm is tied for 13th individually and Campbell is seventh on the team leader board after Friday's opening round of the 41st-annual Schenkel Invitational at Forest Heights Country Club.
No.-21 NC State finished the day 16-under par (272) and takes a three-shot lead into Saturday's second round over host and 40th-ranked host Georgia Southern (275). Furman is third (282), while Campbell is six shots back at even-par 288.
Benjamin Shipp of NC State, Brett Barron of Georgia Southern and Mac Scott of Furman shared the first-round lead at 6-under-par 66 on the par-72, 6962-yaard Forest Heights layout.
Nyholm was 4-under through 14 holes and finished at 2-under-par 70. His day included five birdies, which tied for seventh in the 80-golfer field. He played the par-5 holes 2-under and was even on the par-4 and par-3 layouts.
Romain Lanteri is tied for 19th at 1-under 71 after an opening round that included five birdies. He played the par fives at 3-under and was 3-under over his final 10 holes of the day.
Josh Hetherington was 2-under over his last 10 holes, made three birdies overall, and was tied for 6th in par-3 scoring (-2).
Henrik Lilja made 14 pars (tied for third in the field) in his 2-over-par 74 round and is tied for 45th after playing even-par golf over the last 12 holes.
Alejandro Cogollo turned in an opening round 80 and is tied for 76th.
Campbell will be paired with Cincinnati and ETSU for Saturday's second round and start from the first tee at 9:00 a.m. The 54-hole event concludes Sunday.
Named for the late Hall of Fame announcer and Georgia Southern alum Chris Schenkel, the event has played host to future professionals who have gone on to win 15 major championships, most recently Justin Thomas of Alabama, the 2013 medalist, who went on to win the 2017 PGA Championship. Among the other golfing luminaries to play in the event are two-time Master champion Bubba Watson (Georgia) and two-time U.S. Open champions Andy North (Florida) and Curtis Strange (Wake Forest).
41st Schenkel Invitational
Statesboro, Ga. / Forest Heights CC
Mar. 19-21, 2021 / Par 72, 6962 Yards
First Round Team Results: 1. NC State 272, 2. Georgia Southern 275, 3. Furman 282, T4. College of Charleston 285, T4. Florida Gulf Coast 285, 6. Middle Tennessee State 287, 7. Campbell 288, T8. Cincinnati 292, T8. ETSU 292, 10. Memphis 293, T11. Rutgers 298, T11. Troy 298, 13. Kentucky 301.
First Round Individual Leaders: T1. Benjamin Shipp (NC State) 66, T1. Brett Barron (Georgia Southern) 66, T1. Mac Scott (Furman) 66, 4. Maximilian Steinlecher (NC State) 67, 5. Ben Carr (Georgia Southern) 68.
Campbell Individuals: T13. Pontus Nyholm 70, T19. Romain Lanteri 71, T33. Josh Hetherington 73, T45. Henrik Lilja 74, T76. Alejandro Cogollo 80.
Forest Heights CC (Par 72, 6962 Yards)
Recognized as one of the finest courses in the Southeast, Forest Heights Country Club is host to the Schenkel Invitational, which draws top teams from around the country. Forest Heights is also the site of the annual Southeastern Amateur Golf tournament and has hosted the Southern Conference tournament and the Georgia State Golf Association Four-Ball tournament. Opened in 1947, the greens were rebuilt to USGA specifications under the direction of Bob Cupp in 1993.
