SNOW HILL, NC – Sophomore Leander Neuhaus fired a four-under-par 68 to lead Francis Marion University to a seventh-place standing after Friday's (March 27) first round of the Cutter Creek Intercollegiate Men's Golf Tournament hosted by East Carolina University.
 
The three-day 54-hole event is being played on the 7,280-yard, par-72 Cutter Creek Golf Club course.  FMU golfers will tee off for Saturday's second round between 8 and 8:45 a.m. at the first hole.
 
Francis Marion tallied an even-par 288 team score, and is one stroke behind sixth-place Fairleigh Dickenson University (287) and two strokes back of fifth-place Harvard University (286). 
 
Elon University sits atop the team standings one stroke ahead of second-place Campbell University.
 
Neuhaus's 68 score was one stroke off his career-best round.  His opening 18 holes included an eagle on the 585-yard, par-5 fifth hole.  He is tied with Shreyas Sanmathy of FDU for sixth position in the players' standings, only three strokes behind the leader.
 
Florence native and FMU senior Pake June equaled his season-best round of 70 and is tied for 13th place in the players' standings.
 
Other Patriot golfers include junior Simon DiMaggio (73) tied for 34th, junior Ryan Bozard (77) tied for 68th, and red-shirt freshman Chan Lee (78) and junior Josh Dugard (78) are tied for 76th place.