PINEHURST, N.C. – The No. 1-ranked Washington and Lee University men's golf team opened play at the Tiger Invitational on Sunday, finishing the first round tied for fifth place with No. 18 Hampden-Sydney and No. 13 Lynchburg at 8-over-par (296) at Forest Creek Golf Club.

No. 2 Methodist leads the tournament at 7-under-par (281), while No. 5 Emory (+1, 289) and No. 30 Babson (+3, 291) round out the top three. The Generals will look to gain ground in Monday's final round on the par-72, 6,701-yard course, which saw an average score of 76.38 strokes per round in challenging conditions.

Team Standings (Top 5)

1. No. 2 Methodist – 281 (-7)
2. No. 5 Emory – 289 (+1)
3. No. 30 Babson – 291 (+3)
4. No. 9 Carnegie Mellon – 295 (+7)

• T5. No. 1 Washington and Lee – 296 (+8)
• T5. No. 18 Hampden-Sydney – 296 (+8)
• T5. No. 13 Lynchburg – 296 (+8)

Team Performance Highlights

• Par 4 Scoring: 4.14 avg. (4th overall)
• Par 5 Scoring: 5.05 avg. (T-9th overall)
• Total Birdies: 13 (T-3rd overall)
• Total Pars: 54

Individual Highlights

• Sophomore Jonathan McEwen sits third overall at 3-under (69) after a stellar opening round. He went 3-under on the front nine and closed even-par on the back, balancing two bogeys with two birdies.
• First-year Charlie Krasnewich is tied for 24th place at 2-over (74) after a steady round.
• First-year Timothy Kaufman is tied for 33rd at 3-over (75), staying consistent throughout his round.
• Senior Elias Malakoff is 62nd at 6-over (78) after a tough start but would have finished just +2 without struggles on the first two holes.
• Senior Will Braxton is 72nd at 7-over (79), but carded four birdies on the back nine to show strong play late in the round.

Up Next

The Generals will return to the course for the final round of the Tiger Invitational on Monday, March 10, with tee times beginning at 10:30 a.m. on Hole 1. W&L looks to climb the leaderboard and challenge for a top finish.
 

Nestled in the mountains of Virginia, Washington and Lee University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Founded in 1749, W&L is the ninth-oldest college in the United States and a top-ranked liberal arts university. With over 500 student-athletes in 24 varsity sports, the Generals have celebrated over 265 conference championships. Learn more about the Blue and White by visiting www.generalssports.com or on social media at @WLUGenerals.