KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – Junior Forrest Fowler fired a career-tying 2-under-par 69 and is tied at the top of the leaderboard, while pacing the Anderson University men's golf team to fourth place following first-round action at the Queens University of Charlotte Collegiate Invitational.
The two-day tournament is being hosted by the Royals at par-71, 7,099-yard Irish Creek Country Club layout.
Coker and Queens are tied for first after each team posted identical 290s during Monday's opening round, with Duke (293) three shots further back. The Trojans occupy the fourth spot after notching a 295. Barton (296) and Catawba (299) are fifth and sixth, respectively, while Queens (B) (304) and Pfeiffer (304) share the seventh spot.
St. Andrews (312), Livingstone (321), Miles (322) and Chowan (327) rounded out the 12-team field.
Two seasons ago, Fowler carded a season-best low-round 69 on the second day of the 2014 AU Invitational, while finishing that tourney tied for fourth. The Spartanburg, S.C., native is even with Charlotte's James Medley, who is competing as an individual. The duo is one stroke in front of Coker's Ethan Carins and two shots ahead of Coker's John Ingle and Duke's Alexander Matlari.
AU sophomore Grayson Bell is tied for 12th after posting a 73, while Weston Bell shares the 25th spot after a first-round 76. Sophomore David Monroe notched a 77 and sits in a tie for 34th, with freshman Jake Miller in a tie for 39th after an opening-round 78.
Tuesday's final round is scheduled for a 9 a.m. start.
4 Anderson 295 295
T1 Forrest Fowler (4) 69 69
T12 Grayson Bell (1) 73 73
T25 Weston Bell (5) 76 76
T34 David Monroe (2) 77 77
T39 Jake Miller (3) 78 78
