Samples, Byerly in top 15 after first round

Samples fires 74, Byerly 76 at regional tournament

Results

VALDOSTA, Ga. -- Abilene Christian University golfers Matt Samples and Kyle Byerly are both in the top 15 of the individual medalist race after Monday's first round of the NCAA Division II South Central Region golf tournament.

Samples fired a 2-over-par 74 and is tied for sixth place, while Byerly went 4-over-par 76 and is tied for 15th at the par-72, 7,289-yard Kinderlou Forest Golf Club.  Cameron's Owen Mahaffey leads the pack after firing a 1-under-par 71 on Monday.  His was the only under-par round of the day, and it propelled the Aggies into the team lead at the tournament with a first-round 295.  Cameron leads St. Edward's (298) by three shots.

Samples shot a 1-over-par 37 on his first nine holes (back nine of the course), although he was 1-under-par through his first seven holes.  He bogeyed Nos. 17 and 18 to finish out his first nine holes.  He then went bogey, birdie, bogey, birdie and bogey on his first five holes of the back (front nine of the course).  He birdied both of the par-5s in that stretch.

Byerly also started on the back nine and bogeyed Nos. 12, 14 and 16 before carding a birdie on No. 18 to close his first nine holes at 2-over-par.  He double-bogeyed the par-3 No. 5 and bogeyed the par-4 No. 6 before carding a birdie on the par-4 No. 9.

Both players will be back in action Tuesday with the second round of the 54-hole (three-round) tournament.