Career-Low 66 Sends Butcher to Top of Badger Invite Leaderboard

Madison, Wis. – Western Carolina senior Jace Butcher rebounded from an opening-hole bogey to fire a career-low 6-under-par 66 on Sunday, seizing the individual lead after the first round of the 2026 Badger Invitational at Wisconsin’s University Ridge Golf Course. Butcher’s seven-birdie round paced the 100-player field and highlighted the Catamounts’ opening-round 4-over-par team score of 292, placing WCU in a tie for 10th entering Monday’s second round. Paired with golfers from North Dakota State, South Dakota, and Southern Illinois, Western Carolina’s scoring five is scheduled to tee off Monday at 10 a.m. ET (9 a.m. CT). Live scoring for…