Franks, Reynolds Pace Carolina on Day One in Puerto Rico

RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico — South Carolina is off to a solid start at the Puerto Rico Classic, shooting an opening round 276 (-12) on Sunday at Grand Reserve Golf Club. All four counting scores fired red numbers for the Gamecocks.
 
Freshman Nathan Franks and sophomore Rafe Reynolds paced Carolina with 4-under 68s. Franks was lights out to start the round on the back nine of the course as he birdied his opening four holes and made the turn at 5-under. He led the team with seven birdies on the day. Reynolds was bogey free his opening nine with a birdie. He bogeyed the par-4 first hole, then birdied three of his next four, turning in a 33 (-3) on the back nine. Both players are T-10^th currently on the leaderboard.
 
First Team All-American Ryan Hall fired a bogey free 69 (-3) in his first round of the spring. Senior transfer Evans Lewis was the final counting score as he shot 71 (-1) with six birdies.
 
“I thought we played really well as a team and we’re looking forward to the next two days,” said head coach Bill McDonald. “We left some shots out there when the winds were down and the course was a little easier. Really nice to see Rafe and Nathan put together a couple of nice rounds as well.”
 
Junior Jack Wall shot even par and freshman Gene Zeigler, who is competing as an individual this week, shot 2-over.
 
It’s another shotgun start for the field at 7:30 a.m. (ET) tomorrow. Carolina will be paired with No. 8 Tennessee and No. 26 East Tennessee State teeing off on holes four through seven.
 
2022 Puerto Rico Classic R1 Leaderboard
1. No. 12 Georgia – 265 (-23)
2. No. 1 Oklahoma – 268 (-20)
3. No. 21 Purdue – 272 (-16)
T4. No. 48 South Carolina – 276 (-12)
T4. No. 26 East Tennessee State – 276 (-12)
T4. No. 8 Tennessee – 276 (-12)
7. Marquette – 277 (-11)
T8. College of Charleston – 278 (-10)
T8. No. 10 Ole Miss – 278 (-10)
10. Wisconsin – 280 (-8)
11. No. 36 Michigan State – 281 (-7)
12. Maryland – 283 (-5)
13. Iowa – 283 (-5)
 
2022 Puerto Rico Classic R1 Gamecock Leaderboard
T10. Nathan Franks – 68 (-4)
T10. Rafe Reynolds – 68 (-4)
T22. Ryan Hall – 69 (-3)
T48. Evans Lewis – 71 (-1)
T60. Jack Wall – 72 (E)
T72. *Gene Zeigler – 74 (+2)
 
*playing as an individual this week
 
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