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TUCSON, Ariz. - Perhaps health is an issue for Louisiana Tech's golf team when it comes to postseason play but that seems to play in the Bulldogs favor. Despite fighting an illness and slight fever the last few days, Jacob Wyatt carded a team-leading and season-best round of 1-under-par 71 as play opened Monday at the NCAA Golf Regional in Tucson.

It seems to be a familiar theme for the Bulldogs. In his first regional appearance as an individual in 2014, Victor Lange fought through a bout of shingles and scarlet fever to record a top 25 finish at the San Antonio Regional.

"I was very impressed," Louisiana Tech head coach Jeff Jenkins said of his freshman's performance. "He has actually been sick the last few days. I made a joke about beware the sick golfer. Jacob did an incredible job. He has brought it over the last few months, playing incredible golf for us."

Wyatt, the Bossier City, Louisiana native, continued his hot streak with a season-best round of 71 Monday. This comes after carding a previous season-low round at the Conference USA Championship followed by an improbable, come-from-behind win in match play over the league's top-ranked golfer.

"I am so proud and excited for him with his growth as a player. He is certainly carrying his weight. This is something he will be able to draw on the rest of his career just like he did at the conference tournament. Today was a huge round for him."

Credit his par-five play that accounted for his impressive round. Wyatt was 3-under-par on the day on par-five holes, a number that ranked second among the regional field Monday. He was even-par on holes LA Tech's back nine Monday (the Bulldogs started play on Hole 10) but was 3-under-par on the front nine with a birdie and an eagle. And that eagle was close to a double eagle.

"I hit a perfect drive down the middle, grabbed a seven iron and I yelled for it to go," Wyatt said of his eagle on Hole 16. "It landed about 10 feet short and rolled to within a foot and I tapped it in for eagle."

Louisiana Tech finished the day in 11th place overall, carding 13-over-par 301 as a team. The top five teams will advance out of the Tucson Regional to the NCAA Championships after the three-round, 54-hole tournament.

"Being at enough regionals, I have seen the numbers move a lot," Jenkins said. "We have to stay the course, prepare for tomorrow and if we play well tomorrow we can get right back into this thing. The guys seem real upbeat and positive. The energy is good and that is what I want. I want good energy. That gets me excited."

Jenkins should know. The 2016 trip to the Tucson Regional marks his sixth-consecutive regional appearance as a coach after guiding Victor Lange to the Lubbock Regional as an individual last year. Formerly a Texas Tech assistant coach, Jenkins went to four straight regionals with the Red Raiders before joining the LA Tech Family.

Only 14 strokes back of a top-five finish, Louisiana Tech is still well within reach with two rounds of golf to play. And that move up the leaderboard will likely start with Lange, a senior that carded a 3-over-par 75 Monday. The South Africa native hasn't carded back-to-back over-par rounds in a tournament since March and, with a season stroke average of 72.50 this year, has the best average on the team and second-best average of all collegiate golfers in Louisiana.

Lange finished strong Monday as he ended his 18 holes with a birdie but was his normal consistent self for most of the day. He carded even-par on 14 of the 18 holes and was only really tripped up with a double-bogey on the par-5 hole 16.

Ben Robinson also was mostly consistent with 12 even-par holes on the day, only to struggle with a 4-over-par score over the final four holes. Finished the day with an even-par, missing an eagle putt by inches. He finished the day at 5-over-par 77.

Luke Neeley started strong and was 1-under-par after eight holes but a double-bogey on Hole 18 right before the turn started a string of five straight bogeys that led to a 6-over-par 78 round.

Chuck Spears rounded out the Tech contingent Monday, carding 16-over-par 88 after seven straight holes of bogey or double bogey.

The Bulldogs will tee off the second round of play Tuesday starting at 7:55 a.m. MST/9:55 a.m. CDT. Louisiana Tech will be paired with Georgia State and Georgia Tech.

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