The No. 5-ranked Emory University golf team completed its opening round of action at the Jekyll Island Collegiate Invitational on Friday.   The 54-hole tourney is being played at the 6,700-yard, par-72 Pine Lakes Course on Jekyll Island.

The Eagles stand fifth out of 29 teams after the first day of play, registering a team score of 295.  With a two-hour frost delay delaying the first tee times until 10:00 am, a handful of teams did not complete their entire first day including Washington & Lee whose one-under par score, with three players still on the course, topped the field. Among the squads that did finish, No. 1-ranked Huntingdon and No. 10 Methodist both posted marks of 292 while Greensboro carded a 294. No. 3 Rhodes College and Hampden-Sydney were one shot back of Emory at 296.

Emory sophomore Stefano Butti was at the top of his game, registering a one-under par 71, tying for eighth place out of 148 players.  Butti shot a 37 on the front nine before posting two-under 34 on the back. Junior Keenan Hickton came through with the club's second-best outing with a two-over par 74. Rounding out the team's scorers were freshman Matt Organisak and sophomore Noah Apter, each at 75.  Sophomore Connor Yakubov finished at 85. Freshman Sam Galloway and junior Sean Murphy are competing as individuals and will complete their first rounds on Saturday.