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Oklahoma golf: No. 4 Sooners grab Day 1 lead in NCAA Norman Regional

By Chip Rouse

DETROIT, MI - AUGUST 21: Brad Dalke from Norman, Oklahoma looks at his putt on the 7th green during the final round of the U.S. Amateur Championship played on the South Course of Oakland Hills Country Club on August 21, 2016 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI - AUGUST 21: Brad Dalke from Norman, Oklahoma looks at his putt on the 7th green during the final round of the U.S. Amateur Championship played on the South Course of Oakland Hills Country Club on August 21, 2016 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /
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The men’s Oklahoma golf team took a five-shot lead after the opening 18 holes of the NCAA Norman Regional.

Related Story: Oklahoma claims second Big 12 Golf Championhip

The No. 4-ranked Sooners shot a five-under-par team score of 283 to take the early lead in the 54-hole NCAA Regional tournament at Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club. Auburn, Arkansas are North Dakota are all tied for second place, five shots back of Oklahoma, with a score of 288.

Playing on their home course, the reigning national champion Sooners were the only team to shoot under par on day one.

Oklahoma was led by junior Blaine Hale, who shot his best 18-hole score of the spring season, a five-under-par 67, which tops the player leaderboard. His teammate, redshirt sophomore Quade Cummins is tied for second place, with a three-under round of 69.

Sophomore Garrett Reband fired an even-par 72 in the opening round, which ties him for 16th place. He pared all 18 holes.

The Sooners two best players throughout the spring season, junior Brad Dalke and senior Grant Hirschman are tied for 36th place at three-over-par 75. Hirschman tied for first and Dalke tied for seventh place in the recently completed Big 12 Championship, won by the Sooners.

Oklahoma is one of eight Big 12 men’s teams to advance to the NCAA Golf Regionals. That tied a Big 12 record, set a year ago. One of the eight Big 12 teams that qualified for the postseason is the Sooners’ in-state rival, Oklahoma State. The Cowboy’s are the country’s top-ranked Division I team.

The second round of the Norman Regional will be staged on Tuesday. The top five teams from each of the six regional locations and the top individual not on one of the five teams will advance to the NCAA Men’s Championship finals May 25-30 at the Karsten Creek Golf Club, home course of the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

The OU women’s golf team, ranked 20th in the country, is also in the NCAA postseason, one of 18 schools taking part in the University of Texas Regional in Austin.

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