BRASELTON, Ga. – Windy conditions played havoc with the players on the opening day of the Atlantic Sun Men’s Golf Championship on Sunday.

North Florida’s senior duo of Sean Dale and Kevin Phelan were two of four players to record sub-par totals at The Legends Course of Chateau Elan. Their efforts helped the Ospreys book a team score of 299 and wrap up day Sunday’s action with a nine-stroke lead on second placed Kennesaw State. UNF and KSU were the only teams to break 300 on the first day of play.

Stetson finished the day 20 shots behind the Ospreys after an opening round 309. Four of the five Stetson players broke 80 on the day, with freshmen Michael Primavera and Andrew Peterson posting the low rounds for the Hatters at 76.

Dustin Dingus (78), Tyler White (79) and Matt Taylor (83) completed the round for the Hatters. The average score for the tournament field for the opening day was 77.5.

Kennesaw State sophomore Austin Vick and East Tennessee State sophomore Scott Gibson joined Dale and Phelan with rounds of 71 (-1), assembling a four-way tie for the individual lead.

All told, only six of 50 players shot even-par or better as windy conditions and hard putting surfaces pushed the day’s average round to 77.62. Kennesaw State shot 298 and while ETSU and Jacksonville are tied for third with day-one totals of 301. Mercer and USC Upstate each registered Sunday scores of 308 while Stetson (307), Florida Gulf Coast (313), Northern Kentucky (314) and Lipscomb (314) rounded out the field.

Dale and Phelan combined to shoot four-under par on the back nine to vault North Florida into the lead after the Ospreys had completed the front nine at seven-over par.

All four of the team’s contributing scorers will start Monday’s action inside the top-10, as sophomore Joey Petronio shot 72 (E) and is tied for fifth and sophomore MJ Maguire carded a 75 (+2) and is tied for 10th. ETSU sophomore Rhys Pugh benefitted from the day’s only eagle and joined Petronio in a tie for fifth place at 72. His eagle came on the 520-yard, par-five 14th hole and highlighted a four-under finish on his final five holes of the day.

Three players are three strokes off the leaders’ pace while 14 of the 50 participants are leading or within four shots of the lead. Monday’s second round is slated for an 8 a.m. start, with live scoring provided by www.GolfStat.com.

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