Eckroat, a sophomore on the Oklahoma State men's golf team from Edmond, Okla., posted six-under-par 65 early in the day to set the bar high for the afternoon pairings; Alberta Golf jumps to early Morse Cup lead in team competition.
PACIFIC COAST GOLF ASSOCIATION (San Francisco, Calif.) - Austin Eckroat, of Edmond, Okla., made short work of The Olympic Club - Lake Course in round one action of the The 52nd Pacific Coast Amateur Championship.
Eckroat got off to an uneventful start, posting a front-nine one-under-par 34 with two birdies and a single bogey. Starting on the 10th is where his round took a complete u-turn in the positive direction.
The 2018 NCAA Team champion, as a member of Oklahoma State, birdied five of his next nine holes, posting 34-32-65 (-6) in his first Pacific Coast Amateur.
Eckroat's lead of two strokes hung on for majority of the day until Calgary, Alberta-native Emmett Oh, birdied his final hole to sneak into solo-second at -5 (34-31-66).
Five players sit in a tie for third at four-under-par, including three in the top 50 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).
Andy Zhang of Winter Garden, Fla., Chun An Yu, of Tempe, Ariz., and Scarsdale, New York native Brandon Wu, all posted round-one 67's. Joining them in the red numbers, two back of leader Eckroat, is William Gordon of Davidson, North Carolina and fellow Oklahoma State Cowboy teammate Hayden Wood of Edmond, Okla.
Gordon celebrated his first career hole-in-one on hole 15, propelling him to his position within striking distance of Eckroat and company, heading into round two.
Leading the way for California players is Matthew Wolff of Agoura Hills. Wolff, chasing his OK State teammates, shot a bogey-free 68 to sit at three-under par.
Taking place concurrently with the first and second rounds is the annual Morse Cup team competition. Alberta Golf leads that competition by a single-stroke over Washington State Golf Association.
Round two will begin tomorrow at 7:30am.
Held on an annual basis since 1967, with roots dating back to 1901, the Pacific Coast Amateur Championship boasts a rich history of showcasing some of the most talented golfers in the United States and Canada.
Past champions of the Pacific Coast Amateur who have gone on to successful professional careers include PGA Tour winners Aaron Wise (2015), Billy Mayfair (1987, 1988), Jason Gore (1997) and Ben Crane (1998) as well as Web.com Tour winners Michael Putnam (2004) & Andrew Putnam (2010).
For more information on the championship, visit www.pacificcoastamateur.com.
For first round scores and round two tee times, please click here.
ABOUT THE PACIFIC COAST AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
The Pacific Coast Amateur Championship is one of the oldest and most prestigious amateur golf championships in North America. The first tournament was held on the links of San Francisco Golf Club at The Presidio in 1901. After being played until 1911, The Pacific Coast Amateur then ceased to exist, only to be reconstituted at Seattle Golf Club in 1967. Today, 15 member Pacific Rim golf associations comprise the Pacific Coast Golf Association.
