RICHMOND, Ky. – After having its season-opening tournament canceled because of Hurricane Irma, the FGCU men's golf team took to the course for the first time in 2017-18 on Saturday, concluding the first two rounds of the EKU Intercollegiate in a tie for 9th place at the University Club at Arlington.
 
The Eagles will enter Sunday's final round just five shots out of 2nd place and nine strokes behind tournament leader and host Eastern Kentucky (562) after recording rounds of 285 and 286 for a +11 score (571) as the 16-team field is tightly compact.
 
Junior Andrew Potter signed for rounds of 1-under 69 and 1-over 71 as he is FGCU's low man after 36 holes with a 140 (E) total. Robert Renner Jr. also finds himself inside the top 20 as the redshirt junior is tied for 17th following an even-par 70 and 1-over 71 for a 141 (+1) total.
 
Just one stroke behind Renner Jr. is reigning ASUN All-Freshman Team member Doug Smith following rounds of 72 and 70 (142, +2), while Grant Renegar (McComb, Miss./ Meridian CC/Parklane Academy) recorded consecutive rounds of 74 and Michael Keymont (Orlando, Fla./Eastern Florida State/Timber Creek HS) recorded an 82 and 78.
 
"The team was a little rusty starting the day, but manage to put together four decent scores per round," stated head coach Eric Booker. "The teams are bunched up, so a solid effort tomorrow by all team members will get the job done. I'm starting to see some of the hard work that these players had put in this summer begin to produce results."

Potter (Naples, Fla./Community School of Naples) opened his 1st round on the par-3, 216-yard 7th and made the turn to the front 9 in +2 before recording three birdies on that side to shoot his 1-under round. In his 2nd round he was +3 after four holes, but settled down and played the remaining 14 holes in 2-under par.
 
Renner Jr. (Arlington Heights, Ill./Saint Viator HS) began his 1st round with seven-straight pars before recording a bogey and a birdie on 17 and 18, respectively. He went on to birdie holes 2 and 4 on the front, which were offset by a pair of bogeys for his round of 70. The junior was similarly consistent in his 2nd round of the day, making three birdies against four bogeys for the 71.
 
Smith (Windermere, Fla./Olympia HS) made pars on 14 holes in the 1st round, recording a birdie and three bogeys to shoot his 72. He started his 2nd round with a double bogey on the par-4, 423-yard 9th hole, but bounced back with a pair of birdies on the back 9 to make the turn at even par and maintained that pace on the front.
 
While Eastern Kentucky's tournament is serving as the first of the year for the Eagles, it was not supposed to be as FGCU was slated to compete in the Golfweek Conference Challenge last weekend in Myrtle Beach, S.C., but that event was canceled due to Hurricane Irma.
 
The 54-hole event will conclude with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday. Live scoring will be available via Golfstat.
 
FGCU Lineup
T-12) Andrew Potter: 69-71: 140 (E)
T-17) Robert Renner Jr.: 70-71: 141 (+1)
T-23) Doug Smith: 72-70: 142 (+2)
T-59) Grant Renegar: 74-74: 148 (+8)
89) Michael Keymont: 82-78: 160 (+20)
 
EKU Intercollegiate 1st & 2nd Round Results (# = Golfstat Ranking)
1) #101 ­­­­­Eastern Kentucky: 284-278: 562 (+2)
2) #130 Ball State: 278-288: 566 (+6)
T-3) #247 Morehead State: 282-285: 567 (+7)
T-3) #175 Marshall: 290-277: 567 (+7)
T-5) #189 William & Mary: 282-286: 568 (+8)
T-5) #140 Dayton: 287-281: 568 (+8)
T-7) #190 SIU Edwardsville: 288-282: 570 (+10)
T-7) #254 Tennessee Tech: 280-290: 570 (+10)
T-9) #169 FGCU: 285-286: 571 (+11)
T-9) #148 Cleveland State: 287-284: 571 (+11)
T-9) #188 Longwood: 290-281: 571 (+11)
12) #224 Samford: 284-288: 572 (+12)
13) #217 Austin Peay: 293-285: 578 (+18)
14) #231 Murray State: 292-290: 582 (+22)
15) #239 Evansville: 292-296: 588 (+28)
16) #251 Northern Kentucky: 300-297: 597 (+37)

FOLLOW ALONG
For schedule updates, news and information, visit FGCUAthletics.com. For the latest news and behind-the-scenes access to information, photos and videos, follow @FGCU_MGolf on Twitter and @FGCU_MGolf on Instagram.
 
COACH BOOKER
FGCU is led by 4th-year coach Eric Booker, a member of the PGA Tour and Web.com Tour (formerly the Nationwide Series) for portions of 17 years from 1990-2007. Booker finished in the top 5 three times in tournaments on the PGA Tour, and also played in the U.S. Open and PGA Championship. He played in 62 career events on the PGA Tour, with his best finish being a tie for 3rd at the 1999 Honda Classic.
 
HELP THE CAUSE
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.