ARDMORE, Okla. – The No. 3-ranked Murray State College men's golf team proved why it sits among the nation's elite, dominating its season opener with a school-record performance from sophomore Joss Lopez and placing each of the top four on the leaderboard.
 
Lopez etched his name into Aggie history with a second-round 63 (-9), the lowest round ever recorded in program history. After opening with an even-par 72, Lopez surged in the afternoon, pouring in seven birdies and one eagle en route to a bogey-free round to finish at -9 overall and claim the top spot on the leaderboard.
 
Teammates filled in right behind him as the Aggies stacked the leaderboard. Callum Hook posted steady rounds of 71 (-1) and 68 (-4) to finish second at -5. Shashank Koirala came in third at -4, while Connor Tallentire rounded out the top four at -3 after a strong second round.
 
The Aggies' depth was on full display, with Luca Bordoni (9th, +6), Aaron Ellis and Jake Sprosen (T-10th, +9), and Vili Soronen and Rhys English (T-12th, +11) all contributing solid performances. In total, Murray State placed 11 players inside the top 15.
 
Coach Coppedge praised the balance and competitiveness of his roster, noting both the record-setting effort and the overall team showing. "Joss broke his low score from last spring with a 63. As a team, we would have shot a 271, which would've been one of our lowest in school history. Seeing four guys shoot in the 60's in the second round — and one in the first — was really impressive, especially as we get ready to compete in the NJCAA National Preview on Tuesday."
 
The Aggies will look to carry this momentum into their next tournament beginning Sept. 2 as Murray State travels to Indiana to compete in the NJCAA National Preview.


Sports Information Director: Justin Wagner | jgwagner@mscok.edu
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