What you need to know:
* Georgia State shot an opening round 2-over 290 to stand tied for fourth following the first round of the Furman Intercollegiate.
* Junior J.J. Grey and freshman Alexander Herrmann are tied for ninth after each shot rounds of 71.
* Fans can follow live scoring of the three day, 54-hole event all weekend on GolfStat.com.
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Led by an opening round 1-under 71 from junior J.J. Grey, Georgia State shot an opening around 2-over 290 to stand tied for fourth following the first day of the Furman Intercollegiate. The Panthers, which shared the team title last season, are just six strokes off the lead entering the weekend.
Grey made four birdies in his first round and is tied for ninth following his 71. Freshman Alexander Herrmann, playing as an individual, matched Grey for the team's low round making six birdies on the Furman University Golf Course.
Georgia State, which already has a pair of top three finishes this month, has just two regular season events before beginning defense of its title at the Sun Belt Conference championship next month.
“We did a lot of really nice things today,” head coach Joe Inman said. “I thought we played smart golf. We still made a few mistakes that cost us a few strokes, but we really limited the big numbers that had been plaguing us. I think we are in a good position to have a shot to win this tournament once again.”
Senior Davin White opened play with an even par 72 and sits in a tie for 20th with 36 holes to play, while freshman Max Herrmann was just one stroke behind following a 1-over 73 that left him in a tie for 30th.
Senior Damon Stephenson added a 2-over 74 which included five birdies, but a pair of double bogeys. He stands tied for 44th entering the weekend.
Sophomore Nathan Mallonee rounded out the squad's starting five, shooting a 3-over 75 to sit in a tie for 51st.
Senior Gus Wagoner, competing as an individual, fired a 4-over 76 and is tied for 59th, while freshman Hayden Poole, also competing as an individual, shot a 14-over 86 and sits tied for 113th.
USC-Aiken, ranked No. 2 in Division II, leads the 18-team field at 4-under par following a round of 284. Jacksonville is second at 2-under, followed by No. 46 Troy in third at even par. Georgia State is tied with Akron for fourth at 2-over.
Jacksonville's Nick Torrance and USC Aiken's Brandon Robinson-Thompson share the individual lead at 5-under. Troy's Luke Moser, Western Carolina's J.T. Poston and Virginia Tech's Drew Johnson are tied for third at 3-under.
The teams will return to the course on Saturday morning at 8 a.m. ET for the second round of play. Live scoring can be found at GolfStat.com.
Following the event, Georgia State will return for its final regular-season event, the Irish Creek Intercollegiate, hosted by Davidson and Charlotte, April 11-12.
