TAMPA, Fla. – Battling rainy conditions in the morning and strong winds in the afternoon, the FGCU men's golf team was able to put together a pair of respectable rounds on Monday in the opening day of the USF Invitational to sit in 4th place entering Tuesday's final round.
 
The Eagles – who came into the day with seven-straight rounds under 300 – recorded a 310 in the 1st round and 309 in the 2nd round, a testament to the challenge Mother Nature presented. All but four of the 11 teams' 22 rounds on Monday were 300 or higher.
 
FGCU's 619 total is two shots clear of 5th-place Delaware (621) and 14 shots back of 3rd-place FAU (605). Host and #21 USF leads the pack with a 580 total – 22 strokes ahead of Southern Illinois (602).
 
Michael Keymont and Doug Smith led the way for the Green and Blue as both are tied for 16th place overall with 153 totals. Keymont (Orlando, Fla./Eastern Florida State College/Timber Creek) recorded an opening-round 76 at the par-72, 7,004-yard layout at Tampa Palms Golf and Country Club before signing for a 77 in the 2nd round. Smith (Windermere, Fla./Olympia HS) mirrored Keymont's scores exactly with the 76 and 77.
 
"We had difficult conditions today playing in the rain in the 1st round and then dealing with high winds in the 2nd round," commented FGCU head coach Eric Booker. "Overall, the guys maintained good composure while dealing with some big numbers that set us back. A good closing round tomorrow is the mindset of the guys."
 
Grant Renegar (McComb, Miss./Meridian CC/Parklane Academy) is tied for 26th following rounds of 79-77 (156), while reigning ASUN Men's Golfer of the Week Cole Castro (Homestead, Fla./South Dade HS) is tied for 30th with a 157 total (79-78). Rounding out the FGCU lineup was Andrew Potter (Naples, Fla./Community School of Naples) with rounds of 82-79 (161).
 
In addition to that quintet, Brent Fredericksen (Staten Island, N.Y./Saint Peter's Boys HS) is competing as an individual for the Green and Blue, and the sophomore signed for consecutive rounds of 82 (164).
 
In a testament to Booker's comments about the Eagles making a few too many big numbers, FGCU's sub-par holes were nearly on pace with the tournament leaders as the Green and Blue rolled in 25 birdies over the two rounds – just behind Southern Illinois' 26 and USF's tournament-leading 27. Additionally, FGCU's 100 collective pars were the 3rd-most in the field, with Smith leading the pack in that category with 26.
 
Final-round play is scheduled to begin on Tuesday with an 8:30 a.m. shotgun. Live scoring will be available on Golfstat by clicking here. FGCU will be chasing its 4th-straight top-3 finish to begin the spring season.
 
FGCU Lineup Results
T-16) Michael Keymont: 76-77: 153
T-16) Doug Smith: 76-77: 153
T-26) Grant Renegar: 79-77: 156
T-30) Cole Castro: 79-78: 157
T-46) Andrew Potter: 82-79: 161
T-52) (I) Brent Fredericksen: 82-82: 164
 
USF Invitational Competing Teams (# Golfstat Ranking)
1) #21 USF: 281-299: 580
2) #127 Southern Illinois: 290-312: 602
3) #179 FAU: 299-306: 605
4) #191 FGCU: 310-309: 619
5) #225 Delaware: 308-313: 621
6) #146 Mercer: 307-315: 622
7) #201 Cleveland State: 301-323: 624
8) #219 George Mason: 307-321: 628
9) #237 Murray State: 319-312: 631
10) #247 Stetson: 314-323: 637
11) #279 Florida A&M: 319-329: 648
 
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. He has led the Eagles to a pair of wins in limited-field events the last two years, in addition to a tie for 1st at Stetson's Legacy Intercollegiate in February of 2018. 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.