JEKYLL ISLAND, Ga. - It has been five years since the Bridgewater College men's golf team got to participate in a full-field version of the Jekyll Island Collegiate, one of the most competitive tournaments in DIII golf. They visited Jekyll in the pandemic-altered season of 2021, but Friday saw their return to the true championship, and the Eagles played a very competitive opening nine before sliding down the leader board.
 
When sophomore Max Bondurant eagled the par-3 15th hole (the Eagles started on #10) the Eagles were only four strokes over par and, one third of the way through the first round, in a position that opened the door to surprising many of the top teams in the nation. In a field which features fourteen of the top-20 teams in DIII golf, the Eagles were the 29th seed entering this event, so it was an impressive start that had them inside the top-5 early in their round.
 
Bondurant turned in 38 strokes, matched by fellow-sophomore Logan Douthat, who parred seven of the first eight holes in blustery conditions. As the round progressed, Bondurant had just one rough hole (a triple-bogey on #2 after making the turn) and missed one short putt, but he led the Eagles with a solid 76 on the Pine Lakes Course. He also was tied for best among 150 players in par-5 scoring (-4).
 
Douthat played steadily throughout the round, dropping six strokes on the final three holes, mainly due to the putter going cold. He posted 81.
 
Hayden Hawes largely avoided the big mistakes on Friday, taking a solo double-bogey on the 200-yard par-3, which played straight into a strong wind. He was just +1 through seven holes despite facing three of the toughest holes on the course, and he finished with an 80.
 
Freshman Brandon Washburn also helped the Eagles get off to a good start when he ran off seven straight pars to start the day, including a 25-footer he dropped on the long 11th hole. Following the team trend, Washburn lost some strokes late in the day, but he held on to post 82.
 
Senior Jacob Sears said he struggled to get the ball to react the way he wanted around the greens, chipping from Bermuda grass. He went around in 87 strokes.
 
Freshman Jack Thome won a qualifier at home earlier in the week and earned his first trip to Jekyll. Competing in an alternate competition on the Oleander Course, he shot 79 to sit in a tie for 11th among 34 players. Thome played eleven holes in the middle of the round at even par.
 
The Eagles played their first six holes a cumulative +2, but the next six holes were +13; and as the wind-blown greens on Pine Lakes became slicker late in the day, the squad played the final third of the round at +14. After the strong start and having an opportunity to play with the top teams in the nation, Bridgewater slipped into 30th place. "It's an honor and a great experience to be included in a tournament like this." said head coach John Rogers. "We really came in with the modest goal of beating a few teams which earns an invite for next season, and the way we started the day shows we can do it. Now we have to figure out how to do it for a whole round. Even after stumbling late in the day, the good news is that we are still within range of several teams as we prepare for round two."
 
The Eagles are within nine strokes of four teams ranked inside the top-50 nationally, including one top-10 college. Play is scheduled to resume at 7:55 Saturday morning, dependent on potential thunderstorms in the area.