By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – The first round of the Ohio Valley Conference Championships is officially in the books for the Tennessee Tech men's golf team, as the Golden Eagles concluded the first 18 holes of competition at Dalhousie Golf Club in Cape Girardeau, Mo.

The purple and gold finished the opening day of play sixth among the nine teams vying for an OVC crown, tallying a 300 on the par-72 course. Little Rock turned in a dominant first round to pace the field by 10 strokes, firing an 11-under 277. 

The Trojan's Archie Smith and SIUE's Anthony Ruthey tied for the individual lead among the 45 golfers in contention. The two golfers each posted scores of 6-under 66 on the day.

For the Golden Eagles, Jackson Skeen led the effort on Sunday, tying for fifth overall behind a 1-under 71. In addition to three birdies, the sophomore also carded an eagle on the 12th hole, a par-4 test.

Rookie Anders Larson delivered a strong showing in his first taste of the postseason, developing a 2-over 74. The freshman tied for 14th behind a pair of birdies and 13 pars. Tying for 21st overall was Chance Taylor, turning in a 4-over 76. The senior racked up a team-high four birdies on the day.

A pair of Golden Eagles tied for 36th to round out the lineup, including freshman Haden Maxwell and junior Sean Anderson. In his first OVC Tournament, the rookie Maxwell produced a pair of birdies on his way to 79. Anderson picked up a birdie as part of his 79, tallying 11 pars as well.

Tech will kick off Monday's second round with tee times beginning at 9:00 a.m. CT. 

File photo by Emily Armstrong