Owens, Bayer post 67 in opening round of National Minority College Golf Championship

First-round scores

By Bob Denney, PGA.com

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Florida A&M sophomore Jason Owens of Hobe Sound, Fla., and Lincoln University junior Brent Bayer of Festus, Mo., each posted a 5-under-par 67 to share the day's best 18-hole performance and boost their respective teams to the top in Friday's opening round of the 16th National Minority College Golf Championship at PGA Golf Club's North Course.

Owens, who lives 20 miles south of PGA Golf Club, overcame a double bogey on the ninth hole by making seven birdies, including a 40-foot putt on the 18th hole to earn his competitive-best round.

"I was pretty angry after I pulled the drive on the ninth hole out of bounds," said Owens, who came into the Championship with a stroke average of 77. "Our coach (Marvin Green Jr.) came out to see me and told me to think 'team,' not 'individual.' That helped me cool down and I finished well."

Florida A&M, the 2000 Division I champion, had a 291 total, followed by the University of Texas-Pan American of Edinburg, Texas, which came in with 297. Tennessee State University of Nashville, Tenn., was next at 301 and defending champion Bethune-Cookman College of Daytona Beach, Fla., fourth at 310.

Bayer, the Division II medalist a year ago, had one bogey to go with six birdies to guide Lincoln's quintet to a 307 total. Bayer bogeyed the 18th hole, but was a stroke lower than his start in 2001.

The Blue Tigers were 19 strokes ahead of Kentucky State University of Frankfort, Ky., which came in at 326, and followed by St. Augustine's College of Raleigh, N.C., at 328 and Benedict College of Columbia, S.C., fourth at 330.

Diego Besga of Buenos Aires, Argentina, a 23-year-old sophomore at Johnson & Wales University of North Miami, Fla., led the Independent men's division with a 68. Besga, who began playing golf nine years ago, collected six birdies and two bogeys.

Bethune-Cookman sophomore Catherine Williams of Moffat, Scotland, forced to withdraw last year after hurting her right arm in the second round, led the women's division with a 6-over-par 78. Her round was enough to give the defending champion Wildcats a tie with the University of Texas-Pan American at 323.

The Championship is co-sponsored by The PGA of America and the National Minority College Golf Scholarship Fund of Highland Hills, Ohio. The 54-hole competition concludes Sunday for a field that features 21 colleges and universities, and contestants representing 17 countries.

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