JACKSONVILLE, N.C. -- Starting the spring golf season, Bridgewater College head coach John Rogers said he thought the men's golf team was playing one of the best tournament schedules in program history. On Friday their journey continued at the 50th Annual Camp Lejeune Collegiate, a unique event on the Marine base that includes 20 highly-ranked teams.
 
Playing alongside Methodist, the #3 team in DIII college golf, the Eagles completed the first leg of the championship with a team score of 316. In a format unique to this tournament, Bridgewater was also paired with an amateur in each group, players who are largely retired Marines, and each threesome is vying for a best-ball championship.
 
"This tournament is great for our young team," noted Rogers. "Here we are with four underclassmen in the lineup, and they are getting to see what elite DIII golf looks like (Methodist), which is great for their development. But there's so much more to the experience at Camp Lejeune -- last night at the opening banquet, a gentleman asked to sit at our team table for dinner, and we all shared some great conversation; it was halfway through dinner before we found out our guest was a retired Navy admiral. This morning, as the team rolled into the parking lot at Paradise Point, there was a color-guard and Marine Corps band performing for the athletes. This might be the least exciting golf course we play this spring, but this tournament stands alone in the different experiences it offers our players, and it accentuates how fortunate we are, traveling and playing golf at great venues this spring."
 
The Eagles were led, once again, by sophomore Max Bondurant. He experienced a bit of a roller-coaster ride just after making the turn -- he was just +2 on the front nine, when he drove it inside 100 yards on the par-4 10th hole. He then dropped an 80-yard pitch for eagle which took him back to even par. Unfortunately, on the next hole his ball found the penalty area on the right side of the fairway, and his approach then flew the green, all of which led to a triple-bogey. From there, Bondurant said it was just a matter of "holding on", and he came in with a 76. Assistant coach, Mike Clark, said he was impressed with Bondurant's ability to regain composure after the highs and lows in the middle of the round.
 
As the wind got up on the Gold Course at Paradise Point, Hayden Hawes, said his ball-striking was up to the challenge. He said he was not able to drop any of his mid-range putts, and he hit one ball out of play on the tough 15th hole, but he still turned in a solid 78. The junior had eleven pars on the round.
 
Sophomore Logan Douthat had a tough stretch to close the front nine, dropping six strokes in four holes, but he played the remaining holes at just +2 to post an 80. Douthat reflected on playing with his amateur partner who requested to play with the Eagle for a second year in a row. "I love playing with Sam. Being able to play with a former marine (and former college golf coach), makes this tournament as prestigious as it is. It is a unique experience that makes tournament golf even more enjoyable!"
 
A pair of freshmen rounded out the lineup for Bridgewater today and it was Brandon Washburn who provided the final team score. He expressed some frustration with a combination of iron shots that missed greens and poor chips that ensued. Nonetheless, he turned at +2 and dropped most strokes late in the round when the wind was blowing. Washburn carded an 82.
 
Jack Thome has steadily turned in scores in the upper 70s during his freshman campaign, and he was on track to continue that trend for most of the day Friday -- he just dropped seven strokes on two holes, carding a quintuple-bogey on the 7th hole (second hardest on the course) after hitting the ball out of play twice. Thome said his long irons were costly as he posted 86.
 
Facing a national-level field for the third straight tournament, the Eagles came in as a 16th seed among 20 teams. Their team score of 316 put them exactly in that spot. 
 
"Among five players, we only have three total competitive rounds on the Gold Course under our belts," noted Rogers. "While our team score was six strokes better than last year, we're still learning how to get around this track, and learning how to enjoy all the experiences this event offers without losing the ability to execute on the course. Our job is to make another step forward tomorrow."
 
The Eagles play in the afternoon wave on Saturday when high winds and rain are expected.