Reddies move into first in golf tourney

It was considered moving day at the Great American Conference Men’s Golf Championships and Henderson State did just that, turning in a team score of 276 to move into first-place after 36 holes of play at the Hot Springs Country Club.

The 12-under par team round broke the GAC Tournament single-round record of 10-under which was accomplished by Henderson last year.

Henderson began the day trailing tournament leader Arkansas Tech by five strokes, however the Reddies made up 13 shots and lead the Wonder Boys by eight shots heading into the final 18 holes.

Three Reddies shot under par in the round, but it was the play of Nick Shapiro that was most impressive as he moved up from 14th-place to take the overall lead with a 36 hole total of 139, 5-under par.

The freshman from Plano, Texas tied the GAC single round tournament record with a 7-under par 65. Shapiro shares the record with Michael Hearne of Southern Nazarene who posted the same score in 2014.

Shapiro’s Monday score is the lowest by an individual in a second round of the tournament with the previous record being a 67 set last year by former Reddie and GAC Champion Brice Howard.

Shapiro carded a 31 on the front nine of the Arlington Course with birdies on the third, fourth, fifth, sixth and ninth holes. The birdies continued as he began the back nine with a birdie of the par 5 10th hole and followed with birdies on the 16th and 18th holes. The only blemish of the round was a bogey on the par 3, 150-yard 17th hole.

Drew Greenwood also finished the front side of the Arlington course under par with a 34.

The senior from Hot Springs also began the back nine with a birdie and went on to finish with a 69 moving him up from 14th to tied for sixth at 143, 1-under par total.