Palm Beach, Fla. – Stetson graduate transfer Nick Montes put together two of his best collegiate rounds on Monday on the first day of play at the Southern Invitational, being played at The Falls Club.
 
Montes, who came to Stetson after four years at Kent State University, posted rounds of 71 and 72 to lead the Hatters, who stand in seventh place in the 12-team field after the first 36 holes of play.
 
The tournament will conclude with a final 18 holes on Tuesday.
 
Montes, who started play on the 15^th hole, got off to a roller-coaster start with bogey-birdie-bogey on his first three holes. He got back to even par with a birdie on the first hole before rattling off six consecutive pars. A birdie on the eighth hole was followed by a bogey on nine. He had another bogey on 10 before consecutive birdies allowed him to finish with a one-under par 71.
 
His second round started exactly the same as his first, with bogey-birdie-bogey on the first three holes. After making the turn to the front side, he posted consecutive birdies to get under par, but a pair of bogeys left him even as he turned to finish the back nine. He finished his opening round with four pars and birdie for an even par 72.
 
Overall, Montes is tied for eighth with his one under par total of 143. He is just three shots behind tournament leader Peter Gasperini of Virginia Commonwealth, who posted round of 71 and 69 for a 140 total.
 
Middle Tennessee State holds the tournament lead after the first day of play. The Blue Raiders had rounds of 281 and 291 for a 572 total, one shot better than VCU and five shots in front of third place Old Dominion.
 
Stetson opened with a 291, but slipped back with a 303 in the second round. The Hatters are six shots behind Nova Southeastern for sixth place and two in front of Creighton and Drake.
 
In addition to Montes scores, junior captain Benjamin Resnick opened the day with a 71 in his first round, but followed with a five-over par 77 in the second. He is tied for 27^th, but just eight shots off the lead.
 
Freshman Truman Keppy opened with a 74 but, like Resnick, slipped back to a 77 in the second round. He is tied for 42^nd in the field.
 
Sophomore Mason Quagliata posted rounds of 75 and 77 and is tied for 46^th and classmate Bradley Goldstein had rounds of 79 and 85 for a total 164. He is in 68^th place.
 
Freshman Matthew Cooper, playing as an individual, had rounds of 82 and 79 on the first day of the tournament.
 
Play in the final round of the Southern Invitational is scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. with tee times on the front and back sides. The Hatters will lead off from the 10^th hole at 7:30 a.m.
 
Live scoring for the tournament is available at Golfstat.com.
 
About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program has a vision of developing a culture of champions athletically, academically and within the community. This vision is accomplished through a mission of recruiting and developing student-athletes, coaches and staff, creating a culture of champions, within and outside of competition. The department operates with five core values: Championship Culture, Integrity, Excellence, Pride/Tradition and Leadership. To learn more about the Vision, Mission and Core Values for Stetson Athletics, visit GoHatters.com and click on Mission Statement under the Inside Athletics tab.