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May 29 , 2012

Complete Round 1 Results | Photo Gallery | Championship Central | OU Notes

	Team 1 2 3 Total 1.  Alabama 285 - - 285 T2.  Florida 288 - - 288 T2.  Auburn 288 - - 288 T4.  Oklahoma 289 - - 289 T4.  UCLA 289 - - 289
	OU Players 1 2 3 Total T4.  W. Kropp 69 - - 69 T10.  A. Ancer 70 - - 70 T62.  M. Gellerman 74 - - 74 T98.  M. Schoolcraft 76 - - 76 T130.  R. Pumphrey 78 - - 78
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NORMAN, Okla. - The Oklahoma men's golf team opened the 2012 NCAA Men's Golf Championships with a 5-over 289 on Tuesday at the 7,292-yard, par-71 Riviera Country Club course in Pacific Palisades, Calif., good for a share of fourth place.



The 28th-ranked Sooners are four strokes behind first-place Alabama and one stroke behind second-place Florida and Auburn. Oklahoma is tied in fourth place with UCLA, followed by a five-way tie for sixth one stroke back. The top-eight teams after three rounds will advance to the match play portion of the event.



"We played a pretty solid round today highlighted by great rounds from (Will) Kropp and Abe (Ancer)," said OU head coach Ryan Hybl. "Under par out here is very good."



Just four strokes out of first, Hybl's squad is in a position to contend for this year's championship, a significant improvement from last season. OU finished the first round of the 2011 NCAA Championships in last place and 30 strokes out of first.



"We put ourselves in great shape heading into the last 36 holes," Hybl said of his team. "I feel good about our guys right now."



Oklahoma junior Will Kropp performed well in the opening round for the Sooners. The Edmond, Okla. native started his team off right with a birdie on the first hole. He closed out the front nine with a pair of bogeys and a birdie. Kropp added another bogey on No. 16 before finishing his round with an eagle and a birdie to record his second-lowest round this season (carded a 4-under 67 in the 3rd round of the UTSA/Oak Hills Invitational). The junior sits in a tie for fourth place out of 155 golfers with a 2-under 69, two strokes behind frontrunner Anton Arboleda of UCLA.



Abraham Ancer saw a day full of ups and downs. The junior recorded back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 2 and 3 to start the day. He then birdied four of six between the seventh and 12th holes, followed by three bogeys over the next four holes. He persevered to birdie the 17th and 18th holes to finish the round at 1-under. Ancer’s first-round 70 places him in a tie for 10th place.



Freshman Michael Gellerman, who finished in fifth at the NCAA Norman Regional, recorded three bogeys and two birdies through 17 holes before carding a double bogey on the par-4 No. 18 hole. Gellerman is tied for 62nd place with a 3-over 74.



Sophomore Michael Schoolcraft bogeyed six holes on the front nine, but settled himself through the remainder of the round, recording two birdies and one bogey. Schoolcraft sits in a tie for 98thth place with a 5-over 76.



Senior Riley Pumphrey carded a 78 (+7) and is in a tie for 130th place.


Oklahoma leads the three Big 12 squads competing in the championship, including No. 1 Texas. The top-ranked Longhorns finished the round as part of the five-way tie for sixth place at 6-over. Texas A&M sits in a tie for 22nd at 14-over in the 30-team field.

"We don't need to push out here," Hybl said of the championship course. "You just have to let it happen at Riviera because if you push too hard, it will get you.
"

Oklahoma will remain paired with East Carolina and Illinois for Wednesday's second round and tee off from the 10th hole beginning at 3:20 CT. Live scoring is available on NCAA.com.