Verona, NY – Led by junior Matt Gauntlett, who fired a five-under par 67 on Sunday in the opening round of the Turning Stone Intercollegiate, Stetson sits second behind host Missouri after the opening 36 holes of the first event of the 2022-23 season.
 
Gauntlett followed his opening round 67 with the 69 in the afternoon and sits three-shots behind Missouri's Jack Lundin in second place with a combined eight-under par 136.
 
A native of Watford, England, Gauntlett bogeyed his second hole of the day before going on a tear with two birdies and an eagle over a four-hole stretch. After his opening 67 on the Robert Trent Jones designed Kaluhyat Course, he started his second 18 with a birdie to get to six under par. Consecutive bogeys on the 11^th and 12 holes slowed his momentum, but he closed out the day with another birdie run, carding four over a six-hole stretch for his 69.
 
Grad transfer Cameron Henry and junior Mason Quagliata, playing as an individual, are tied for eighth place overall, both at two under par for the day. Henry followed his opening round 72 with a second round 70 that was one bad hole from a much lower number. Quagliata posted consecutive 71s to finish the day at two under par.
 
Like Henry, junior John Houchin had a chance to be higher on the leaderboard after his first day of play as a Hatter. He had four birdies in each round, but one bad hole in each left him with a pair of even par 72s, which leaves him tied for 12^th in the tournament.
 
Junior Javier Calles Roman was never quite able to get his birdie stroke going. He had a pair in an opening round 75 and then just one in his second round with a matching score. He is tied for 32^nd at six-over par 150 going into Monday's final round.
 
Sophomore Truman Keppy finished his opening day with rounds of 76 and 77 and sits 40^th in the tournament with a combined nine-over par 153.
 
The host Tigers finished the day with a tournament best 41 birdies as part of their 19-under par day. Missouri had an eight-shot lead over Stetson after its opening 278 and pushed its advantage to 15 shots with a second round 279. Stetson posted consecutive scored of 286 and sits four shots in front of third place Delaware entering the final round of play on Monday.
 
The 11-team field will return for the final round of play at the Turning Stone Resort on Monday morning with a shotgun start scheduled for 8 a.m. Live scoring will be available on Golfstat.com throughout the tournament.
 
About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program is driven by a shared purpose. It is what inspires, motivates and binds us together. More than a task, a reason for being. THE HATTER PURPOSE is to create and provide an experience of a lifetime through teamwork and relationships to achieve excellence. This purpose is achieved through five Core Values: Communication, Integrity, Excellence, Value People and Commitment. To learn more about the HATS program and our Core Values, visit GoHatters.com/HATS. Get in on the conversation on social media by following Stetson Athletics on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For video content, visit our YouTube channels: Stetson Hatters, Stetson Athletics and, for live events, Hatter Vision.