VESTAVIA HILLS, Ala. – Peter Staalbo carded scores of par or better in both rounds Monday on the opening day of the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate, pacing the University of South Alabama men's golf team with a 2-under-par 138 total.

He fired a 2-under-par 68 in the morning, then came back to record a 70 and end the second round in a tie for sixth among the 60 individuals competing.  His efforts helped the Jaguars finish tied for ninth out of the 12 schools in the field after 36 holes with a 578 group score that saw South shoot a 289 in each round.

Rasmus Karlsson finished with a 72 in both rounds, with Sylas Elliott recording the same mark in the morning.  The second time around the course, Yannick Schütz contributed a 73 while Jason Mendel finished with a 74.

After beginning the tournament with a bogey on the 10th hole at the par-70, 7,209-yard Old Overton Country Club, Staalbo recovered and made the turn 1 under following threes at Nos. 13 and 18, playing at 448 and 494 yards, respectively.  Another three on the first gave him back-to-back birdies, which he accomplished again on Nos. 8 and 9 to close out his first 18 holes.

Staalbo posted a two at the 187-yard third and birdied No. 9 again to shoot 1-under-par on the front nine in the afternoon, with his final birdie coming at the 13th.  He has now shot par or lower in five of seven rounds this fall, and with the effort is just three strokes off the lead held by Baylor's Matthew Perrine.

"Peter played well all day," USA head coach Alex Hamilton said.  "He struck the ball exceptionally well in the morning — I think he hit 15 out of 18 greens — and played some excellent golf from tee to green.  Shooting a 68 is obviously a great score, it's a heck of a round on that track; he had a couple of opportunities to make a couple more putts, but the ball wouldn't go in for him.  Peter was solid again in the afternoon and although he made a couple of bogeys at the end as it got dark out he still has a chance to win an individual title tomorrow."

With a 144 36-hole total, Karlsson concluded the first day of the event in a tie for 25th place in the individual standings.  The freshman recorded birdies on Nos. 15 and 18 in the opening round to play the back side of the course at 1 under, while consecutive birdies at the second and third holes over the second 18 holes had him at 2 under making the turn.

Elliott's 72 in the in the morning featured five birdies — matching Staalbo for the team lead in round one — including four on par-four holes.  He ended the first 18 holes with a stretch of three straight birdies on Nos. 6-8 to shoot even par on his back nine, with his lone birdie of the second round coming on the second hole, a par five playing at 618 yards.  Elliott finished with a 149 score to end the opening day tied for 45th individually.

Mendel enters the final round in 52nd place two shots behind Elliot, with Schütz a stroke in back of the junior tied for 53rd.  The former carded threes at the first and sixth — playing respectively at 410 and 425 yards — in round two, birdying No. 14 for the second time on the day as well for his lowest 18-hole score of the season.  After making just one birdie in the morning, the latter shot even par on the back nine in the second round highlighted by an eagle at the 318-yard 15th and a three on the closing hole.

Auburn and Baylor were the only two schools to finish the day below par, with each recording a 2-under 558 total to build a six-shot lead on Alabama-Birmingham.  The Jaguars are tied with Charlotte, eight strokes outside the top five but five in back of Florida State and four behind the host Crimson Tide.

"The guys have an opportunity to play some good golf tomorrow and move up, it's a pretty tightly-packed field," said Hamilton.  "But at the end of the day I still saw a lot things out there we can correct — we didn't follow our game plan very well, we didn't stick to what we talked about the night before [the tournament started], we didn't execute some relatively simple things that we have been doing.  If we can stop thinking three, four, five steps ahead, we will be alright, but we have to decide which direction we are going to go."

The final round will begin from split tees on Tuesday at 8 a.m. (CDT).  The Jaguars will play the last 18 holes with Alabama and FSU starting at 8:50 a.m.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

—USA—

Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate
Old Overton Country Club, Vestavia Hills, Ala.
Par 72, 7,209 yards
Team Scores: T1) Baylor 274-284—558 (-2); T1) Auburn 284-274—558; 3) Alabama-Birmingham 285-279—564; 4) Nevada-Las Vegas 283-284—567; 5) Arkansas 285-285—570; 6) Michigan 290-282—572; 7) Florida State 291-282—573; 8) Alabama 289-285—574; T9) South Alabama 289-289—578; T9) Charlotte 288-290—578; 11) Mississippi State 296-283—579; 12) Texas-San Antonio 301-284—585.

Individual Leaders: 1) Matthew Perrine, BU 68-67—135 (-5); T2) Conor Purcell, UNCC 65-71—136; T2) Jovan Rebula, Aub 68-68—136; T4) Kyle Mueller, UM 68-69—137; T4) Harry Ellis, FSU 68-69—137; T6) Peter Staalbo 68-70—138; T6) Nick Carlson, UM 68-70—138; T8) four individuals with 139.

South Alabama Scores: T6) Peter Staalbo 68-70—138 (-2); T25) Rasmus Karlsson 72-72—144; T45) Sylas Elliott 72-77—149; 52) Jason Mendel 77-74—151; T53) Yannick Schütz 79-73—152.