NELLYSFORD, Va. - The Bridgewater College men's golf team plunged into the fall season at the SVU Knights Invitational on day one at Wintergreen Resort as senior Brandon Washburn leads all Bridgewater scorers carding a –1 (71). 

Washburn currently is tied for first in a three-way fight between SVU's Nikko Taggart and Hampden-Sydney's Garnett Hall.  

Through the first round of 18 holes, Washburn steadied the course from the very start. The senior tallied a birdie on the first hole and used that momentum through the front nine to hold consistency. At hole number seven, Washburn stumbled with a bogey but quickly bounced back on hole eight and nine with a par and a birdie. In the back nine, Washburn held solid with just one bogey to card an even par.  

Freshman Jayden Hendricks impressed the field of strong competitors with a fifth-place finish after round one of golf. Hendricks started off hot on the first nine with three birdies to total a –2 (34). The course caught up with the competitive freshman as he settled for a three-over par on the back nine with three bogeys. Hendricks finished with a 73.  

Sophomores Christian Carroll and Cai Clark were the next finishers for Bridgewater as they sit at ninth place in a five-way tie. Both golfers carded a 75.  

Sophomore Walker Gillespie finished round one in the top 15 of 57 golfers. Gillespie settled with a 77 to begin the fall season opener.  

The Eagles return to play tomorrow, Sept. 9 for round two at Wintergreen Resort beginning a shotgun start at 10 a.m.