Welch Powers Sooners to 18-Hole Lead

	Team	1	2	3	Score
1.	¹Oklahoma	287	-	-	287 (-1)
2.	¹⁹Texas A&M	297	-	-	297 (+9)
3.	¹¹Texas	298	-	-	298 (+10)
4	³Florida St.	298	-	-	298 (+10)
5.	²²Okla. St.	299	-	-	299 (+11)

	OU Golfers	1	2	3	Score
1.	P. Welch	69	-	-	69 (-3)
T5.	J. Brightwell	72	-	-	72 (E)
T5.	L. McAllister	72	-	-	72 (E)
T14.	G. Reband	74	-	-	74 (+2)
T49.	Q. Cummins	78	-	-	78 (+6)

SAN ANTONIO – Powered by clubhouse leader Patrick Welch, the top-ranked Oklahoma men's golf team was the lone team under-par in the Cabo Collegiate's opening round and are in alone in first place after 18 holes of play at the 54-hole event in San Antonio.

The Sooners (287, -1) collected 13 birdies and a field-high 57 pars on Monday to take a 10-stroke lead into the second round of the tournament that features nine top-25 teams, including the nation's top-three teams.

"We battled some really tough conditions today on a really tough course and came out as the only team under-par, and that's something to be proud of," head coach Ryan Hybl. "I'm proud of our guys for battling today and putting together an excellent round of golf, but the work is nowhere close to done. We'll get back out there tomorrow and expect to have to push ourselves."

Coming off a fourth-place finish at the Seminole Intercollegiate, Welch carded a 3-under 69 on Monday at the par-72, 7,034-yard TPC San Antonio Oaks Course to take a two-stroke lead over a trio of golfers in second place after Monday's opening round.

After bogeying his third hole of the day, the junior sunk four birdies and 11 pars to take and hold the lead.

"Patrick is just playing outstanding golf right now," Hybl said. "He made some changes over the winter break on his putting, and when you pair that with his ability to strike the ball, he obviously is a really good player."

Welch isn't the only Sooner in contention for medalist honors after the opening round, as three more of Oklahoma's golfers sit inside the top 15, including a pair tied for fifth.

Junior Logan McAllister tallied a birdie to open the day on the 10th hole and a bogey on 15 before sinking pars on his final 12 holes to card an even-par 72, good for a share of fifth.

Tied with McAllister for fifth is Jonathan Brightwell (72, E), who returned to the Oklahoma lineup after playing in the Seminole Intercollegiate as an individual. Brightwell accumulated four birdies on the day, second-most in the field, but a pair of late bogeys moved him from first to fifth.

All-American Garett Reband shot a 74 (+2) to open his week and is tied for 14th entering day two. His up-and-down round was highlight by an eagle on the par-4 17th to get him under-par on his front nine.

Quade Cummins, who was named to the United States' Walker Cup Team on Monday morning, closed his day with a birdie to finish his round in a tie for 49th at 6-over.

The Sooners seek their 19th top-five finish in their last 20 events and sixth consecutive top-five of the 2020-21 season.

No. 1 Oklahoma will tee off with second-place No. 19 Texas A&M (2, +9), No. 11 Texas (T3, +10) and No. 3 Florida State (T3, +10) on Tuesday at 9 a.m. off the first hole at TPC San Antonio.