UNF even on day 1 of A-Sun tourney

Monday, April 20

Buies Creek, N.C.

All Day

University of North Florida

at Atlantic Sun Championship

Chris Kennedy shot an even par 72 on Monday.

4/20/2009 3:49:33 PM | Men's Golf

Three Ospreys in top 15

By: Shawn LaFata

Results/Live Scoring

BUIES CREEK, N.C. (April 20, 2009) – The University of North Florida golf team is in a crowded pack of teams at the Atlantic Sun Championship that is looking up at Campbell after one round of play at Keith Hills Country Club.

UNF shot an even par 288 for the day, which was good enough for second place, nine strokes behind Campbell. The Ospreys hold a slim lead over Kennesaw State (+1) and Belmont (+1), while Florida Gulf Coast (+2) and Jacksonville (+2) are in the mix as well.

“We have been in this position before,” UNF head coach Scott Schroeder said. “Last year we were forced to make up a deficit after the first round, so this is something we are familiar with. Campbell played well on a course that its team members are very familiar with and we will get to see them in our group tomorrow. We got a good round from Jeff Dennis today and it's nice to see him, as a senior, get off to that kind of start.”

UNF came from nine strokes down after last year's opening round to win the Atlantic Sun Championship.

Dennis is one of three Ospreys in the top 15, leading UNF with a round of 2-under-par 70. That was good enough to place him tied for seventh and three strokes behind Belmont's Scott O'Brien who leads the tournament at 5-under-par. Dennis began his day with two birdies and a bogey on the front nine before rallying with three birdies on the back, including one on the par-5 18^th hole.

Jordan Gibb was 3-under-par at one point in his round until a costly stretch dropped him back to even par. Gibb's scorecard was spotless through 13 holes when a bogey on the 14^th and a double bogey on the 15^th hole set him back.

Chris Kennedy is tied with Gibb in 14^th place after sandwiching a pair of bogeys between two birdies on the day.

Freshmen Joe Byun (74) and Kevin Aylwin (79) rounded out the scoring for the Ospreys.

UNF – which is trying to become the first team since 2003 to defend the Atlantic Sun Conference title – is back on the course Tuesday, where it will be joined by the front running Camels and Belmont at 8:36 a.m.