FRIPP ISLAND, S.C. – Justin LaRue once again led Longwood men's golf as the Lancers opened up the Big South Championship with the first round of stroke play.
 
LaRue is tied for third, and the Lancers are fourth as a team with two rounds to go.
 
RESULTS:
Ocean Creek Golf Course
Fripp Island, S.C.
Par 71, 6,526 Yard
 
Team
4. Longwood: 284 (E)
 
Individual
T3. Justin LaRue: 68 (-3)
18. Scott Jordan: 71 (E)
T19. Matthew Lyons: 72 (+1)
T23. Logan Hooper: 73 (+2)
T32. Nick Rakes: 76 (+5)
 
NOTABLES:
 
The Lancers, the defending Big South champs, ended the day even par and were two shots behind Winthrop, who finished third. Gardner-Webb led the field at eight under, and High Point sits in second at six under.
 
LaRue, as he has all year, led Longwood. He carded a pair of eagles in his front nine and finished the day three under. The junior was one of two players who had multiple eagles in the first round.
 
He was at par or better, on average, on Par 3s, Par 4s and Par 5s, and he carded 11 pars, tied for the second-highest mark on the team.
 
Scott Jordan shot an even 71 on the day, the only player in the field who was dead even after 18 holes. Jordan had three birdies and 13 pars, the top mark on the squad. He was at his best on Par 5s, where he was two-under.
 
Matthew Lyons was tied for 19^th following his opening round in his Big South Championship debut. The freshman battled through an up and down round to post a 72. He carded a team-best five birdies.
 
Logan Hooper slipped inside the top 25 with a 73 to tie for 23^rd. He opened with three birdies in his first nine holes.
 
Nick Rakes also battled an up and down round, but he finished with a birdie on his final hole.
 
WHAT THEY SAID:
 
"We kind of accomplished our goal today," said Longwood Head Coach Kevin Fillman. "Obviously the tournament cannot be won in the first round, but, at the end of the day, we do want to hang around and give ourselves a chance to finish in the top four. So, while we managed to stay in the mix, we also let a number of shots go down the stretch that would have helped us be in an even better position headed into tomorrow. That's something that we know we're going to get corrected. We're just going to have to stay focused on the things that help us be successful and go play the round we're capable of playing."
 
UP NEXT:
 
Longwood plays the second round of the tournament on Friday morning. The top four teams make match play, which will take place on Sunday, April 21.