Gazette-Times

PORT ST. LUCIA, Fla. n Oregon State men’s golfer Vincent Johnson is tied for first place in the Men’s Independent Division at the 21st PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship after Friday’s opening round.

The second and third rounds will be played today and Sunday.

Johnson shot a 35 on the front and back nines at the par-72 PGA Golf Club. He birded three par 5s and finished with only one bogey on his way to a 2-under-par 70. Steven Frazier of Houston also shot a 70 to tie Johnson for the lead.

“To only make one bogey really helped me put myself where I am after one round,” Johnson said. “I really needed to play position golf. Typically my game is to hit it long, but I only hit one driver.

“I needed to be strategic, and that’s not typically my game but it worked out today. A lot of the tees were moved up so the course played a little bit shorter. (Today) I’ll have to play it by ear and see what the course gives me.”

Gillis medalist

AURORA — OSU senior golfer Mitch Gillis won medalist honors at a U.S. Open local qualifying event last Friday with a 4-under-par 67 at Langdon Farms Golf Club.

Gillis earned a berth in the U.S. Open Sectional qualifier, set for June 4 at Golf Mountain’s Olympic course in Bremerton, Wash.

OSU’s Alex Williams also qualified by tying for fifth place with a 70. Gillis was in the gallery to root for Williams when he was struck in the head by an errant golf ball from a public player, but was not injured.

Clayton Moe of Corvallis shot a 7-over78 and tied for 48th place.