STOCKBRIDGE, Ga. – Freshman Jamal Hutchison made a big debut for the North Carolina Central University men's golf team by tying for first place at the 38th annual Thomas W. Dortch Jr. HBCU Golf Classic contested at Eagle's Landing Country Club on Monday and Tuesday.
 
Hutchison held a share of the lead after both rounds of the 36-hole event hosted by the Black College Golf Coaches Association in conjuction with the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc. The rookie from Fletcher, North Carolina, fired a four-under par 68 in his collegiate debut Monday and backed it up with a two-under 70 on Tuesday to secure co-medalist honors. His 68 was one shot shy of NCCU's single-round record while his four-under par opening round matched a program record relative to par (previously done four times) and his six-under par tournament total was one stroke shy of a program record for total score relative to par.
 
The Eagles finished fifth out of eight teams in their first competition of the 2023-24 season, picking up wins over Texas Southern, Alabama A&M and Maryland Eastern Shore.
 
Chicago State's Pablo Riveiro shot the low round of the tournament with a six-under 66 on Tuesday to tie for first with Hutchinson while pacing the Cougars to the team victory.
 
Another freshman also made an immediate impact for the maroon and gray with Iszac Bertagnole carding matching rounds of two-over 74 on the 6,620-yard, par-72 layout at Eagle's Landing. Bertagnole's four-over total of 148 was good for a tie for 13th place finish, placing in the upper half of the 40-player field.
 
Graduate student Kendall Wallace (74-77—151), senior Trey Morse (78-75—153) and sophomore Kyle Gregory (77-85—162) all had counting scorecards for the Eagles.
 
NC Central will next complete in the SAS Championship HBCU Invitational at Prestonwood Country Club in Cary, North Carolina, on Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 14-15.
 
NC Central Individual Results (40 Golfers)
T-1. Jamal Hutchison (68-70—138)
T-13. Iszac Bertagnole (74-74—148)
T-21. Kendall Wallace (74-77—151)
T-26. Trey Morse (78-75—153)
35. Kyle Gregory (77-85—162)
 
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