49ers golfers grab first-round lead in NCAA regional

Raoul Menard, Victor Wiggins and former Hough High star Seth Gandy each shot 4-under-par 68s to lead the Charlotte 49ers to a six-shot lead on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional at the 7,242-yard Finley Golf Course.

Charlotte opened with a 13-under-par 275, the second-best NCAA postseason team score in school history.

“I’m proud of the guys for getting off to a nice start,” 49ers coach Ryan Cabbage said. “It was really a good team effort. We still have work to do, but certainly excited to put ourselves in a good position after day one.”

Six shots behind the 49ers is second-place Florida, which finished 7-under 281. No. 1-ranked Florida State is tied for third with Clemson at 4-under 284, and host North Carolina is fifth after shooting a 2-under 286.

North Carolina’s William Register, a freshman from Burlington, was the individual leader with a 6-under 66. Clemson senior Billy Kennerly is a shot back with a 67, just ahead of the 49ers’ trio of Menard, Gandy and Wiggins, who are tied for third.

Thomas Rowland had Charlotte’s fourth and final score counting toward team play with a 1-under 71, which tied for 20th place. Winthrop’s Zach Seabolt shot an even-par 72.

The 13 teams and 75 players will resume play Friday morning in the three-day tournament. Charlotte will tee off at 9:15 a.m., starting on hole No. 1. The 49ers will be grouped with Florida and Florida State.

This story was originally published May 14, 2015 at 7:00 PM with the headline "49ers golfers grab first-round lead in NCAA regional."