BRASELTON, Ga. – Following the opening round of the ASUN Men's Golf Championship on Sunday from The Legends Course at Chateau Elan, the FGCU men's golf team sits in 6th place while Andrew Potter is tied for 9th overall.
 
The Eagles – and the rest of the seven-team field – battled adverse weather conditions the final few hours of the 1st round as rain was consistent over most of the final nine holes of the day. FGCU shot a 307 total, led by Potter (Naples, Fla./Community School of Naples) recording a team-best 73.
 
FGCU is only five shots back of 4th-place Jacksonville with still 36 holes to play as the Green and Blue are in search of their first ASUN Championship. North Florida – which is one of four teams in the field in the top 70 of the nation at #26 – leads the pack following a 3-under 285, while #69 Lipscomb is just one stroke behind after a 2-under 286.
 
"We faced some tough conditions today," stated FGCU head coach Eric Booker. "We basically played in the rain the entire back 9, but at the same time we left a lot of makeable putts out there. We need better decision making to reduce unforced errors the next couple of rounds in order to compete. The weather forecast doesn't look good for Monday, but I'm confident we'll be ready to go."
 
That weather forecast calls for heavy rain all night on Sunday which is not expected to stop until mid-morning on Monday. Due to that, 2nd-round action will not begin any earlier than Noon Eastern on Monday, with a final determination on potential start times expected to be announced around 9:30 a.m.
 
While Potter led the way with a 1-over round to tie for 9th overall, Grant Renegar (McComb, Miss./Meridian CC/Parklane Academy) is tied for 12th overall following a 75 as both he and Potter rolled in three birdies on the day.
 
Doug Smith (Windermere, Fla./Olympia HS) is tied for 27th after an opening-round 79, Michael Keymont (Orlando, Fla./Eastern Florida State College/Timber Creek) is in sole possession of 31st with an 80 and Cole Castro (Homestead, Fla./South Dade HS) – who was named to the ASUN All-Freshman Team on Saturday – is tied for 32nd as he signed for an 82.
 
Potter got off to a great start as he – like the rest of the Green and Blue – started on the back 9 and rolled in consecutive birdies on holes 10 and 11. A bogey on the 12th set him back one stroke, but he still made the turn in 35 before running into three bogeys and just one birdie on the front side to come home in 38.
 
As a team FGCU recorded nine birdies, which was the 3rd-most in the opening round. However, the Eagles made just 48 pars – the lowest in the field in the 1st round.
 
Tee times and pairings for the 2nd round – if available – will not be determined until mid-morning on Monday. For the latest updates, follow @FGCU_MGolf on Twitter, and for live scoring throughout the championship visit Golfstat by clicking here.
 
FGCU Lineup Scores
T-9) Andrew Potter: 73 (+1)
T-12) Grant Renegar: 75 (+3)
T-27) Doug Smith: 79 (+7)
31) Michael Keymont: 80 (+8)
T-32) Cole Castro: 82 (+10)
 
Complete Field (Golfstat Rankings Designated By #)
1) #26 North Florida: 285 (-3)
2) #69 Lipscomb: 286 (-2)
3) #51 Kennesaw State: 296 (+8)
4) #60 Jacksonville: 302 (+14)
5) #162 USC Upstate: 303 (+15)
6) #174 FGCU: 307 (+19)
7) #245 Stetson: 313 (+25)
 
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.