Georgia Southern jumps to lead after Day 1 of FAU Slomin Invite

LAKE WORTH, Fla. -- Hayden Anderson shot a 3-under-par 68, four Eagles are in the top-5 and Georgia Southern is leading the FAU Slomin Center Invitational after the first round of action at The Fountains Country Club on Friday.

Georgia Southern fired a 6-under-par 278 as a team and is seven strokes ahead of second-place UCF (+1). Middle Tennessee State (+9) and Jacksonville State are tied for third.

"The boys got off to a good start this morning and kept it going all round," Georgia Southern coach Larry Mays said. "It's great to see us follow up the big win at the Schenkel with a good first round. We had all five guys playing well, and that is always the goal."

Anderson is in second place in the individual standings, while Scott Wolfes, Will Evans and Charlie Martin are all tied for third after carding a 70. Henry Mabbett posted a 73 and is tied for 16th.

The par-5, third hole was kind to the Eagles as the quintet played the hole a combined 6-under-par. Anderson jumpstarted his day with an eagle there and finished the front nine at 2-under. After a bogey on hole 11, the senior birdied 14 and 15.

Wolfes had birdies on three of his first five holes but a double bogey on hole 4 and a bogey on hole 7 made him even at the turn. The junior bogeyed 14 and birdied 16 and 17 to finish 1-under for the day. Martin birdied two of his first three holes and was 1-under after the front nine. The junior logged a birdie on 15 and bogeyed 16 to finish 1-under.

Evans also birdied two of his first three holes, but bogeys on holes 4 and 8 made him even at the turn. He notched three birdies, including one on the 18th hole, and two bogeys on the back nine. Mabbett was 1-over at the turn and birdied hole 11 to get back to even. The sophomore made up for bogeys on holes 13 and 14 with birdies on holes 15 and 16, but a double bogey on 17 left him at 2-over for the day.

Second round action is set for tomorrow with the Eagles slated to tee off hole 1 at 8:30 a.m.