BYU, Jones Lead After Two Rounds at Inaugural Bridgestone Collegiate Invitational
NAPA, Calif. – The opening two rounds of the inaugural Bridgestone Collegiate Invitational took place Monday at Silverado Resort. BYU’s Cooper Jones recorded rounds of 69 and 67 for an eight-under, three-stroke individual lead heading into Tuesday’s final round. Jones’ Cougars, the only team currently under par, leads by 11 shots over Sam Houston State.
Round 1
With eight birdies, including five in his final six holes, and an eagle on the 580-yard, par 5 16th, Sam Houston State’s Ting-Wei Hsieh carded a seven-under 65 to lead after the opening round by four.
“Once I put the ball on the green and made some birdies, I just kept going,” the senior from Keelung, Taiwan, said. “If you hit these fairways, you have a good chance.”
BYU’s entire lineup finished the first round inside the top 12 individually, good enough for a two-stroke team lead over Sam Houston State. Elon, North Alabama, and Nihon were within 12 shots of the Cougars through 18 holes.
Nihon’s Yuma Iwai, Elon’s Garrett Risner, BYU’s Zac Jones, and North Alabama’s Eric Luo were among others who held individual leads during the first round.
Round 2
Cooper Jones, who came into the second round tied for second, used six birdies and only one bogey for the five-under 67 and the round’s lowest score to build his three-stroke lead.
“The putter was good today,” the freshman from Highland, Utah, said. “I’m going to try to keep the stroke just as good and keep hitting it in the center face of the driver.”
Howard’s Gregory Odom Jr. converted a hole-in-one on the 193-yard, par 3 at No. 2.
“I aimed for the center of the green and shot my 5-iron smooth,” said Odom Jr., the graduate student from Memphis, Tenn. “I started walking up there and only saw one ball on the green, which was my playing mates’, then I saw a pitch mark close to the flag and thought that I was broke. I looked into the hole and it was there. It was good to get two shots back and keep it going.”
Michigan State improved their team score by seven strokes from the first round by recording a second-round 289, only topped by BYU’s 285.
Final-round pairings begin at 9:30 AM PST Tuesday and tournament information such as live scoring can be found on Golfstat.
About Bridgestone Collegiate Development Program
The Bridgestone Collegiate Development Program is dedicated to enhancing competitive and mentorship opportunities for golfers from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and underrepresented communities. Additionally, it offers tangible career development opportunities for both players and coaches. Among its initiatives are the Bridgestone APGA Collegiate Ranking, the HBCU Coaches Summit presented by Bridgestone, the Pathway to Progression HBCU Performance Day presented by Bridgestone and two new collegiate golf tournaments – the Bridgestone HBCU Invitational and the Bridgestone Collegiate Invitational.
About Pathway to Progression
First unveiled in March of 2023, the PGA TOUR’s Pathway to Progression aims to support the identification and development of junior and collegiate golfers from historically underrepresented communities. Now in its third year, the Collegiate Ranking, in partnership with the APGA Tour, provides transitional support for the top five Black senior collegiate golfers as they begin their professional golf careers.
About Bridgestone Americas, Inc.
Bridgestone Americas, Inc. is the U.S.-based subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation, a global leader in tires and rubber, building on its expertise to provide solutions for safe and sustainable mobility. Headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., Bridgestone Americas employs more than 45,000 people across its worldwide operations. Bridgestone offers a diverse product portfolio of premium tires and advanced solutions backed by innovative technologies, improving the way people around the world move, live, work and play.