“We have been here a few times and we love playing here,” said Oklahoma State head coach Allan Bratton. “The golf course was spectacular, and the greens were perfect, and our guys took care of their ball.”
Cowboy Brian Stark, a quarterfinalist in last year's U.S. Amateur, logged seven birdies against one bogey to occupy the top of the individual leaderboard at 6-under 65 while Eugenio Lopez-Charcarra (67), Bo Jin (68) and Jonas Baumgartner (71) contributed to the team total that was just two strokes shy of the tournament record of 269.
“I did pretty much everything really well and stayed disciplined,” Stark said. “I felt like I hit the middle of the green, which made it easy for birdies on par 5s. I played here two years ago so I have a little bit of experience. I used that to my advantage today.
“I like desert golf like this. Playing at home at Karsten Creek is like here because if you miss the fairway your ball is gone for the most part. Driving is the best part of my game, and I am taking advantage of that out here.”
Vanderbilt's Gordon Sargent and Chase Sienkiewicz of Arizona are just one back of Stark after turning in rounds of 66. Sargent's wild ride around the Cove Club consisted of eight birdies, an eagle, three bogeys and a double bogey.
Staying at the top of the leaderboard will be a challenge for Oklahoma State but Bratton believes his squad will face the task with confidence.
“Our guys are good at that,” Bratton said of playing with the pressure of the lead. “They get along well, and they work really hard. They know they are prepared.
“We are sitting where we’d like to be and there’s work to do for the next couple of days."
Pete Kowalski contributed to this report.