Paced by sophomore Jake Miller's career-best 5-under-par 67, the Anderson men's golf team is in fourth place following opening-round action at the 2018 South Atlantic Conference Championship, which is being hosted by the Trojans at the Cobb's Glen Country Club, with a par-72, 7,002-yard layout.
No. 16 Lincoln Memorial, which is searching for its fourth overall title and its' second in three years after claiming the 2016 Championship, posted an 8-over-par team 296, alongside Queens, which is seeking its first SAC title. The two squads lead second-place Carson-Newman (298) by two strokes entering Tuesday's second round. The 20th-ranked Eagles are the defending SAC Champions and are seeking their fourth overall conference title, and third in five years.
Anderson is two shots further back in fourth place after posting a 300 on the day, while Coker holds the fifth slot and nationally eighth-ranked Newberry (302) is in sixth place after Monday's opening round. The Wolves have earned three league championships - most recently in 2011 - with five different teams claiming the title in the last seven years.
Wingate (303) is seventh, with Lenoir-Rhyne (304), Catawba (304), Mars Hill (305) and Tusculum (326) rounding out the 11-team field.
Miller was one of just one of four golfers to score below par on the day. The Anderson, S.C., native leads Queens' Henry Bryden and Mars Hill's Harry Butler by 3 strokes, with Carson-Newman's Tom Forster alone in fourth place after carding an opening-round 71.
Freshman Cal Brock carded a 2-over-par 74 and shares 12th place, while junior Hunter Parks posted a 7-over-par 79 and is tied for 44th place. Freshman Colt Martin is alone in 47th place after notching a first-round 80, with junior Grayson Bell rounding out the Trojan contingent in a tie for 52nd after posting an 86.
Tuesday's second round is scheduled to get underway at 8:30 a.m.
4 Anderson 300 300 +12
1 Jake Miller 67 67 -5
T 12 Cal Brock 74 74 +2
T 44 Hunter Parks 79 79 +7
47 Colt Martin 80 80 +8
T 52 Grayson Bell 86 86 +14
Pos. School Rnd 1 Total To Par
1 LMU 296 +8
Queens 296 +8
3 Carson-Newman 298 +10
4 Anderson 300 +12
5 Coker College 301 +13
6 Newberry 302 +14
7 Wingate 303 +15
8 Lenoir-Rhyne 304 +16
Catawba 304 +16
10 Mars Hill 305 +17
11 Tusculum 326 +38