Tide's Jack Mitchell Shines In First Collegiate Tournament

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Crimson Tide sophomore Jack Mitchell shot a 7-under par 64 to lead the field in his first collegiate tournament and propel the No. 16-ranked Crimson Tide to the top of the leaderboard at the Folds of Honor Collegiate in Grand Haven, Michigan on Monday.

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The tournament supports the non-profit organization Folds of Honor, which provides educational scholarships to the families of military members who have been killed or disabled while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Mitchell’s performance helped Alabama to a team score of 9-under par 275, placing them 11 shots ahead of No. 9 Illinois, which finished the day at 2-over par.

Mitchell, a native of Athens, Alabama, leads by three strokes over Michigan State’s Ashton McCullough, who was joined in the top five by teammates Jonathan Griz and Dominic Clemons, who both posted 2-under par rounds.

UA Athletics says Mitchell’s round included a 1-under par 35 on the front nine and a blistering 29 on the back nine, featuring four birdies and an eagle.

Clemons, a native of England who transferred to UA from Stetson, is also making his debut for the Crimson Tide and ended the round in third place with a 2-under par 69.

Griz, originally from Hilton Head, South Carolina, then matched Clemons’ score, marking his 14th career round in the 60s.

Despite a triple bogey on the ninth hole, Selma native Jones Free finished with a 1-under par performance across the rest of his round, placing him in a tie for 18th at 2-over par 73.

Tide freshman and Pennsylvania native Nick Gross, also competing in his first collegiate event, ended the day tied for 44th with a 5-over par 76.

The Crimson Tide will begin the second round on Tuesday, teeing off from hole No. 1 at the American Dunes Golf Club.

The second round will be covered on the Golf Channel, with live stats available on Scoreboard.

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