Instead of watching “Survivor” on television Thursday, the Oregon men’s golf team was playing a game of survival at the Taylor Made/Waikoloa Intercollegiate tournament in Waikoloa, Hawaii.
The Ducks won their immunity challenge.
Oregon sits in third place after one round at the tournament, despite playing in winds reaching up to 40 miles per hour and a field that includes 12 top-20 teams. The tournament is being played at the par-72 Kings Beach Course in Waikoloa.
Ducks Chris Carnahan and Brandon Harnden both shot 4-over-par 76s to finish the day tied for tenth overall.
“It was a day of survival,” Oregon head coach Steve Nosler said. “I am proud of these kids. They stayed tough and hung in there.”
Besides Carnahan and Harnden, John Ellis was 5 over par and 15th overall, Matt Genovese was 7 over par and 23rd and Aaron Byers finished 37th overall with a 9-over-par 81.
Texas, with a first-round team total of 302, leads the Taylor Made by five strokes over Texas Christian. The Longhorns are six strokes ahead of the Ducks. Arizona State is in fourth, five strokes behind Oregon, while Cal State Bakersfield rounds out the top five.
Of six Pacific-10 Conference teams at the Taylor Made, Oregon leads the pack. The Ducks are fending off 10 top-20 teams, including golf powerhouses Georgia Tech, Brigham Young and Southern California.
The Ducks are trying to turn their season upright after two ninth-place finishes in their last two tournaments. In three tournaments prior to the Prestige at Palm Desert in November, Oregon finished fifth, second and fifth respectively.
Nosler said that in order to do well, Oregon just needs to keep up its intensity.
“We just have to continue to play hard,” Nosler said.
The Ducks will start the second round of play today at 6:30 a.m. in a shotgun start.