FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — After witnessing a narrow birdie miss on a third consecutive hole, Austin Eckroat let his putter slip through his hands and closed his eyes in dismay.
"I was hitting good putts," Eckroat said. "It wasn't like I was doing anything wrong. I wasn't getting frustrated. I was just disappointed that they weren't going in. It wasn't too hard to keep giving myself opportunities and keep hitting it close."
An Oklahoma State sophomore from Edmond, Eckroat otherwise played almost flawlessly on Day 1 at the NCAA Championships while navigating the challenge-filled, par-72 Blessings Golf Club.