TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Andrew Novak rode a wave of emotions on his way to an opening-round 1-over-par 73 on Monday at the NCAA Men's Golf Championship. Novak is competing in the Tuscaloosa Regional, hosted by Alabama at Ol' Colony Golf Club, playing at par 72, 7,512 yards.
 
The junior's day included an eagle, four birdies, five bogeys and a double-bogey to go along with just seven pars. He was among the tournament leaders at 3-under after sinking a birdie at the 10th, but bogeyed 15, 16, 17 and 18 on the way in for his 1-over round. He is tied for 18th place in the 75-man field.
 
"I really played well, even with some of the bogeys I made," said Novak after his round. "I didn't hit many bad shots. It was frustrating to end like that, but I've got two more days to climb. If I can hit the ball as well as I did today on Tuesday and Wednesday, then I've got a shot."
 
In order to advance to the NCAA finals, Novak has to finish the Tuscaloosa Regional as the lowest scoring individual outside of the top five teams. After the first round, Georgia, South Carolina, Kentucky, UNLV and Alabama hold the top five spots. The individual leader outside of those teams is Colorado's Jeremy Paul, who carded a 4-under-par 68, putting Novak five shots back of the lead. Georgia's Greyson Sigg and Zach Healy matched Paul for the low round of the day.
 
Novak quickly thrust himself into the top half of the leaderboard with an eagle-2 at the 318-yard, par-4 second. The Mount Pleasant, S.C., native blasted his drive within 40 yards of the green and pitched his second past the hole, using the slope to bring the ball back toward the cup. It dropped and went down as the only eagle of the day at the second.
 
"It was exciting to see one of our guys competing at regionals for the first time in five years," Southern Conference Coach of the Year Vic Lipscomb said. "Andrew was playing really well and hit some good shots, but he had a bad caddie. He got a couple of bad breaks coming in and the rough around this golf course is brutal. There are woodchips, rocks … you name it. If you hit it in there you will not have a good lie."
 
He gave those two shots back with a double-bogey at the par-3 fourth. Novak's tee shot went into the rough long and right, leaving him a difficult second to get back on. His chip found the bunker and he two-putted to fall back to even par.
 
Birdies at the par-4 sixth and par-4 ninth sent Novak out in 2-under 34, moving him into the top-five on the leaderboard. He then hit his drive in the rough at the par-5 10th, laid up his second to 40 yards and nearly holed out for his second eagle of the day. Novak's approach was all over the pin and settled to two feet for a tap-in birdie.
 
At the time of that birdie, Novak was tied for the tournament lead at 3-under-par. He remained 3-under heading to 15, where the junior subsequently bogeyed the next four holes. However, he was good enough to get up-and-down from the bunker on 16, sinking a 12-footer to save his bogey.
 
Novak's tee shot at the par-3, 191-yard 17th was struck well, but landed too far into the green and rolled all the way to the back. He lagged his second to three feet and was left with a downhill breaker that slid by the edge.
 
At the 18th, Novak's approach out of the rough sailed 40 yards over the green and he was unable to get up-and-down. His chip settled to 12 feet, but the putt that would have ended his day even-par did not fall.
 
Novak will tee it up in round two of the Tuscaloosa Regional on Tuesday at 10:12 a.m. He will start on the back nine and is paired with Harvard's Greg Royston and Jacksonville's Franck Medale.
 
Fans can follow Novak on his journey through the Tuscaloosa Regional by accessing live results courtesy of GolfStat.  
 
Tuscaloosa Regional – May 16-18
Ol' Colony Golf Club – Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Par 72, 7,512 Yards
 
Individual Leaderboard:

T1. (40) Jeremy Paul, Colorado	-4 (68)
T1. (31) Greyson Sigg, Georgia	-4 (68)
T1. (64) Zach Healy, Georgia	-4 (68)
4. (12) Michael Johnson, Auburn	-3 (69)
T5. (86) William Rainey, CofC	-2 (70)
T5. (16) Matthew NeSmith, South Carolina	-2 (70)
T5. (96) Shintaro Ban, UNLV	-2 (70)
T5. Lukas Euler, Kentucky	-2 (70)
T9  (9) Robby Shelton, Alabama	-1 (71)
T9. Sean Kelly, South Carolina	-1 (71)
T9. (42) Dawson Armstrong, Lipscomb	-1 (71)
T9. Stephen Stallings, Jr., Kentucky	-1 (71)
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T18. Andrew Novak, Wofford	+1 (73)