Freshman Leads UConn Golfers in Big East Championship

Freshman Zach Zaback (Farmington, Conn.) shot a 2-under par 70, just one stroke off the individual lead, as he led UConn into fourth place after Sunday’s first round of the 2013 BIG EAST Men’s Golf Championship.

Zaback’s 70 was one of five rounds in the 70s by the Huskies on the first day of the three-day championship at the Watson Course of the Reunion Resort. He birdied four holes on the back nine to finish in a four-way tied for second place with St. John’s Ryan Gay, Notre Dame’s Paul McNamara and USF’s Chase Koepka. The first-round leader was Cincinnati’s David Tepe, with a 3-under 69.

UConn’s aggregate 6-over 294 was just six strokes behind first-round team leader Notre Dame. South Florida was in second place at 2-over 290, and Marquette was third at 4-over 292. Behind UConn in fourth, Louisville, DePaul, and Villanova were deadlocked for fifth place at 9-over 297. The field includes 12 teams.

Along with Zaback’s 70, UConn had freshman John Flaherty (Glastonbury, Conn.) with a 73 that placed him in a tie for 14th place. Sophomore Chris Wiatr (Woodbury, Conn.) was in a tie for 27th place after a first-round 75, sophomore Dane Rosa (Mansfield, Conn.) had a 76 to be in a tie for 34th place, and junior Michael Masso (Suffield, Conn.) shot a 78 to tie for 48th place. The field consists of 60 players.

The second round of the 2013 BIG EAST Championship will be held Monday, with the concluding third round on Tuesday.

Reprinted with permission from UConnHuskies.com

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