WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - The Bridgewater College men's golf team got the first round of The Ruckus underway at Williamsburg National Golf Club on Saturday, but were not quite able to complete play before dark. With two players from Bridgewater and four teams needing to finish the first round on Sunday, the Eagles are sitting in 6th place among eleven colleges.
 
It was a day that provided some typical difficulties associated with college golf in the spring. Assistant coach Mike Clark said,"Today was a grind. Wind, course conditions, and pace of play (almost six hours) were all challenges. Nothing came easy, but to keep all five numbers in the 70s was an accomplishment."
 
Senior Max Bondurant continues to hit his stride after returning to competition this spring. Despite a sluggish start that included two three-putts and four straight bogies, Bondurant will return to play Sunday morning sitting at two over par (needing to play holes seventeen and eighteen to complete the first round). After the four-bogey start, he made five birdies over the next twelve holes. He is tied for 13th out of 62 players.
 
Junior Brandon Washburn was not completely happy with his wedge-play and some of his other shots in blustery conditions, and he also made a bogey on the final hole in the dark, but he still managed to turn in a score of 75. Like Bondurant, he dropped strokes early and was already +3 through four holes, but he similarly produced some birdies coming in, and he played the final fourteen holes at even par. He is tied for 15th.
 
Walker Gillespie struggled with his swing on the front nine, and he was already +6 through eight holes. But he started hitting better shots on the back, and also relied on his putting to play the back at -1 with one hole to play in the morning. He eagled the par-5 fourteenth hole, and he is currently tied for 21st.
 
Following the team trend, freshman Christian Carroll had two double-bogies on the front and was +5. But he played the back at +1 despite rushing to complete the final two holes and taking bogies on both. He said no part of his game was spectacular, and he felt that he left some good birdie opportunities out there. His tally of 78 has him tied for 24th.
 
Freshman Will Layton had his bookends under control, hitting solid drives and putting well, but said his approaches and wedges were problematic on the dormant Bermuda grass. He turned at +2 but shot 41 on the inward nine for a total of 79 strokes.
 
The Eagles hovered around 3rd place much of the day on Saturday, but perhaps as they scrambled in the dusk to finish, they dropped five strokes on the final two holes and dropped to 6th. Even so, they are just eight strokes from second place and intend to close the gap on Sunday.
 
The first round resumes at 8:30 Sunday with the second round scheduled for 9:30 AM.