Stamey is opening round leader, UNCG fifth at SoCon Championship

COLUMBIA, S.C. – UNC Greensboro senior Nathan Stamey fired an opening round 69 to take the individual lead after the first day of play at the 2008 Southern Conference Men’s Golf Championship at the Country Club of South Carolina.

As a team, UNCG is fifth after shooting 296 on Sunday, six shots off the pace. Chattanooga, ranked 12th in the Golfstat scoring rankings this week, leads by one shot over Furman and College of Charleston.

Stamey, a native of Canton, NC opened his day with a bogey, and then played near-flawless golf from there. After his bogey at the Par-4 first hole, he had birdies on Nos. 2, 6, 10 and 11 to go along with 13 pars to finish the day three-under. He is one shot ahead of Western Carolina’s Ricky Stout Furman’s Ben Goforth and Chattanooga’s Fredrik Qvicker.

Play resumes Monday with tee times off Nos. 1 and 10 starting at 8 am. UNCG’s groups will go off the first tee beginning at 8 am. Stamey will play in the 8:32 am group with Stout and Elon’s Steve Dressell.

AGATE

TEAM SCORING: Chattanooga 290, College of Charleston 291, Furman 291, Western Carolina 295, UNCG 296, Elon 299, Georgia Southern 304, Wofford 306, Davidson 309, Appalachian State 313.

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

Top 10: 1. Nathan Stamey (UNCG) 69; T-2. Ben Goforth (Furman) 70; T-2. Fredrik Qvicker (Chattanooga) 70; T-2. Ricky Stout (Western Carolina) 70; 5. Soonam Kim (College of Charleston) 71; T-6. Harrison Moore (College of Charleston) 72; T-6.Ben Rickett (Chattanooga) 72; T-8. Jonathan Bowden (Furman) 73; T-8. J.T. Clendenin (Chattanooga) 73; T-8. Steve Dressell (Elon) 73; T-8. Drew Perry (Wofford) 73; T-8. Austin Reeves (Furman) 73; T-8. Michael Saari (Davidson) 73; T-8. Tim Tang (College of Charleston) 73.

Other UNCG Golfers: T-15. Darragh Coghlan 74; T-27. Brad Cline 76; T-34. Will Bowman 77; T-34. Drew Younts 77.

- UNCG -