By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

MOLALLA, Ore. -- The Willamette University men's golf team ended the first round of the GFU Invitational in first place with a one-stroke lead on Saturday, March 23 at the Arrowhead Golf Club. Willamette registered an 18-hole score of 295 on the par 71, 6521-yard course. Linfield University held second place at 296. The tournament will conclude with the second round, set for Sunday, March 24.

Douglas Bailey of Linfield topped the individual scoreboard at 2-under par 69, He held a one-stroke lead over Brendan Borck of George Fox University, who carded a 70. Bearcats golfers Brock Olson (So., Kirkland, WA/Lake Washington HS) and Oliver Smith (So., San Jose, CA/Pioneer HS) were tied with two other competitors for third place at even-par 71. Also shooting 71 in the first round were Connor Conley from Chapman University (Calif.) and Drew Spritzer from the University of Puget Sound.

Samuel Carillo of Chapman and Kyler Phillips (Fy., Carlsbad, CA/Carlsbad HS) from Willamette's "B" team were tied for seventh place at 1-over par 72. Three golfers, Brock Drury of Pacific University, Truman Fletcher from GFU, and Trevor Price from Linfield, shared ninth place at 73. Jack Carr (Fy., Anchorage, AK/West Anchorage HS) of the Willamette "B" team was tied for 12th place with Ryo Kobayahsi of Linfield's "B" team and Cade Streeter from Puget Sound, as all three carded rounds of 74. A total of 49 golfers competed on Saturday.

Following Willamette and Linfield on the team leaderboard were Chapman in third place at 300, the Willamette "B" team in fourth at 301, George Fox in fifth at 303. Puget Sound was sixth with a score of 307, while Linfield's B" team was seventh at 308, and Pacific was eighth at 322.

The Willamette "A" team included Olson, Smith, Alexander Papajohn (Fy., Parker, CO/Lutheran HS), Preston Lightle (Fy., Victoria, BC, Canada/Belmont Senior Secondary School), and Jack McMullin (Sr., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS). Papajohn was 16th in the individual standings after shooting a 75 in the first round. Lightle was tied for 20th with a 78. McMullin carded an 80 in the first round.

Willamette's "B" team featured Phillips, Carr, Lucas Paul (So., Salem, OR/South Salem HS), Paxton Jones (Jr., Wellington, NZ/Scots College), and Connor Murphy (So., Palm Desert, CA/Xavier College Prep). Paul ended the opening round tied for 17th with a 77. Jones was tied for 20th, as he matched Lightle and four other golfers with a 78. Murphy registered an 88 on Saturday.