MOBILE, Ala. – Following the opening day of the Mobile Sports Authority Intercollegiate on Monday, the University of South Alabama's Peter Staalbo is one of three competitors tied for second in individual standings. His efforts helped the Jaguar men's golf program conclude the first round below par, leaving South second among 16 teams after 18 holes as well.

Staalbo fired a season-best 3-under-par 69 at the Magnolia Grove Crossings Golf Course, leaving the junior one stroke behind Florida State's Jamie Li.  Jason Mendel added a 1-under-par 71, with Yannick Schütz carding a 73, Rasmus Karlsson chipping in with a 74 and Brooks Rabren shooting 75, giving South a 1-under-par 287 group score.

The Seminoles took the team lead with an 8-under-par 280 in the opening round.  Play was suspended due to darkness before the conclusion of the second 18 holes of the event; action is scheduled to resume Tuesday at 8 a.m. (CST), with the final round slated to start immediately upon its conclusion.

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Event (host): Mobile Sports Authority Intercollegiate (South Alabama)
Date: 2/12
Course: Magnolia Grove Crossings Golf Course (par 72, 7,212 yds)
Live scoring: http://results.golfstat.com//public/leaderboards/gsnav.cfm?pg=participants&tid=14401

TEAM SCORES
1) Florida State 280 (-8); 2) South Alabama 287; 3) Western Kentucky 291; T4) Kennesaw State 295; T4) Central Arkansas 295; T6) Jacksonville State 297; T6) Notre Dame 297; T8) Nicholls 299; T8) Illinois State 299; T10) Richmond 300; T10) Louisiana 300; 12) Samford 302; 13) Louisiana Tech 304; 14) Oral Roberts 306; 15) Southern Mississippi 307; 16) Abilene Christian 319.

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
1) Jamie Li, FSU 68 (-4); T2) Peter Staalbo, USA 69; T2) Harry Ellis, FSU 69; T2) Billy Tom Sargent, WKU 69; T5) Jason Mendel, USA 71; T5) Rodrigo Rivas, UCA 70; T5) Wyatt Larkin, KSU 71; T5) Jack Lee, NSU 71; T5) Trent Wallace, ISU 71; T5) John Pak, FSU 71.

SOUTH ALABAMA SCORES
T2) Peter Staalbo 69 (-3); T5) Jason Mendel 71; T18) Yannick Schütz 73; T24) Rasmus Karlsson 74; T32) Brooks Rabren 75.

USA INDIVIDUAL TOURNAMENT LEADERS
1) Parker Reddig, FSU, 70 (-1); T2) Chase Landrum, WKU 71; T2) Jeremy Gandon, Kansas State 71; T4) Greyson Porter, FSU 72; T4) Goodman Rudolph, Miss St 72; T6) seven individuals with 73.

SOUTH ALABAMA INDIVIDUAL TOURNAMENT SCORES
T6) Stephen Wall 73 (+2); T21) Sylas Elliott 76; T34) Justin Choi 79.

TEE SHOTS
-It's the second occasion in 2017-18 that the Jaguars have broken par as a team, and the first time they have accomplished the feat since recording a season-low 274 group score in the second round of Alabama's Jerry Pate National Collegiate Invitational on Oct. 9.
-It was the first time this season that Staalbo has shot under par, and his first score in the 60s since the second 18 holes at the Old Waverly Collegiate Championship the opening week of April last year.
-The junior's round included a team-best five birdies, with three of those coming on the initial six holes of the event.
-At the end of 18 holes, Mendel was among the top 10 in the field of 80 individuals with Schütz beginning the second round among the top 20.
-Mendel's score — which was highlighted by a 1-under-par 35 on the front side of the course — was his second below par this year after he recorded a 69 on the opening day of Alabama's tournament.
-Schütz also was 1 under on the first nine holes of the venue with three of his four birdies coming on his opening four holes after teeing off on No. 3.
-Karlsson recorded four birdies as well, playing the back nine at even par, while Rabren finished the first round with three birdies.
-Sophomore Stephen Wall carded a season-best 73 on the Magnolia Grove Falls Golf Course to conclude the first 18 holes of the USA Individual Tournament tied for sixth in a field of 40.
-Both of Wall's birdies came on the par-five holes — Nos. 10 and 18 — on the back nine of the course, which he played at even-par 36.
-Sylas Wall also posted a pair of birdies in the first round of the event while Justin Choi carded a three at the 412-yard 12th hole.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Ben Hannan
On the team's first-round performance: "I was very pleased with the start to the tournament, everybody was in the game throughout most of the round.  Peter got off to a hot start and was able to maintain that momentum, Jason birdied the last hole to shoot under par and everybody else hung in there and contributed.  Obviously the conditions were very difficult — the course is extremely saturated and playing very long, and the wind was up — so to get off under par was a good start and puts us in a good position."
On Peter Staalbo's play: "Peter has been playing well since coming off the break.  He has a great mentality right now, is swinging the club very well and hitting a lot of quality shots, and taking advantage of the opportunities he is giving himself."
On continuing the momentum when play resumes on Tuesday: "We talk all the time about being fluid and dealing with adversity, and today we faced a lot of adversity from the conditions to the potential breaks to starting play late and stopping play before the end of the round.  I expect the guys to respond well, that's what we prepare for.  They know that they have an opportunity to have a nice event and want to show well at home.  I'm looking forward to seeing them show up and continuing the process of getting better each and every day."

Up next: The tournament will end on Tuesday with the completion of the second round — which is set to resume at 8 a.m. (CST) — and the final 18 holes scheduled to follow.

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).

Join the Birdie Club — the men's golf specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. All donations to the Birdie Club go directly to support the South Alabama men's golf program. For more information on how you can join visit:  jaguarathleticfund.com/birdieclub.

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