Francis Marion golf tied for eighth

By Morning News Staff Reports

Published: November 3, 2008

Sapphire, N.C. — Nationally-ranked Central Florida carded an opening round three-under 281 on Monday to lead the 14-team field at The Hummingbird Intercollegiate at the par 71, 6,767-yard Country Club of Sapphire Valley.

Francis Marion is tied for eighth with Gardner-Webb and High Point University at 299.

Host and defending tournament champion Western Carolina is fourth, 13 strokes off the pace after shooting 294 over the opening 18 holes.

UCF holds a two-stroke advantage over second-place Vanderbilt (283) which finished in the second position at last year’s event. The University of Akron is 10 strokes back at 293 in third followed by Western Carolina (294) and Radford (295), rounding out the top five.

A pair of Golden Knights sit atop the individual leader board as UCF’s David Johnson leads teammate Brad Schneider and Vanderbilt’s Hudson Johnson by a stroke, 67-to-68. Schneider posted a tourney-high six birdies on Monday, but could not overtake his teammate for the day one lead.

Francis Marions’ Keith Crowley sits tied for 11th place at 72. Christopher Couch was next with a 74 and tied for 29th.

WCU’s Summer leads the tourney in par 5 scoring, playing the longest holes on the day at three-under (4.00), while Cuenca ranks tied for first in par 4 scoring (two-under, 3.82).

Behind the consistent play of both Miller and Stout WCU leads the tournament in par scores with 63 through the first round.

The second and final round is slated for today with tee times beginning at 9:30 am.