May 19, 2005
Texas A&M opened with a 10-over-par 290 on Thursday and was tied for 10th place when play was suspended because of darkness at the NCAA Central Regional at Warren Golf Course.
The 11 teams that did not finish will resume play at 6:45 a.m. on Friday. Heavy morning rains and lightning forced the start of the Thursday's first round to be pushed back 3 hours.
Friday's second round will start as scheduled, with the Aggies teeing off at 11:51 a.m. The final round will be on Saturday.
The top 10 teams and six individuals will advance to the NCAA Championships June 1-4 at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mill, Md.
Tulsa leads the 27-team field with a one-over-par total through 12 holes, followed by Oklahoma State (+3 through 17), Augusta State (+4 through 17), Missouri (+5), Texas Tech (+5 through 13), Kentucky (+8), Michigan State (+8 through 14), SMU (+8 through 13), Kansas (+9), A&M (+10) and Texas (+10).
Also from the Big 12, Kansas State is in 21st (+19), Baylor is tied for 22nd (+24) and Oklahoma is in 24th (+25).
Oklahoma State freshman Pablo Martin leads the individual standings at four-under through 17 holes. Kansas' Kevin Ward is in second after a two-under 68.
A&M was led by senior David Schultz, who fired a one-over 71. Schultz was two-over through eight holes, but played the last 10 holes in one-under.
A&M freshman Martin Piller had A&M's shot of the day on the par-4 18th, finishing with a birdie for a 72. Piller's drive came to rest in a fairway divot, but he drilled his six-iron approach from 175 yards to within a foot of the cup.
"Everyone on the team played well," A&M coach J.T. Higgins said. "I was really pleased with the way they all came out ready to play and were focused. We should be in great shape for the rest of the week."
Half of the Aggies 10-over total came on the rugged 495-yard, par-4 10th, while the Aggies also had to take a triple bogey on the 11th, a 245-yard par-3 that played into the teeth of a strong wind.
"We slipped a little on back nine but we battled the whole way around," Higgins said. "We gave a lot of shots away on 10 and 11. That's where we start on Friday, but I think have a good game plan and we should be fine."
A&M freshman Robert Gates carded a 73, junior Andrew Parr added an up-and-down 74 and junior Jerad Harklau posted a 76.
Parr was one-under through nine, but double-bogeyed the 10th and triple-bogeyed the 11th, which offset his five birdies.