March 14, 2008

STATESBORO, Ga. - Junior Zach Sucher is tied for the overall lead following an opening round 68 to lead the No. 25 ranked UAB men's golf team in the first round of the 29th annual Schenkel E-Z-GO Invitational. The Blazers will enter the second round tied for third overall in an 18-team field that features eight teams ranked in the top-25 and 12 ranked among the top-50 in the nation in the latest national poll.

As a team, we are playing really well right now," UAB head coach Alan Kaufman said. "Zach has been playing some of the best golf of his college career and we are getting other guys to step up. Today it was Brad (Smith) and Mike (Oimeon). This is a very, very competitive tournament featuring some of the top teams in the country, and I am pleased with our first round performance."

UAB finished the opening 18 holes with a two-under par 286 on the par-72, 6,962-yard Forest Heights Country Club. The Blazers, which are tied for third with No. 15 South Carolina, will enter day two of the three-day 54-hole event just four strokes behind the tournament's overall leader, No. 13 Tennessee (282) and just one back of second place, No. 1 Alabama (285). LSU, ranked No. 48 in the country, is in fifth with a one-under 287.

Sucher continued his hot play, recording five birdies and only one bogey to finish at four-under par. The Mobile, Ala. native has already recorded one individual title (Gator Invitational) and a third-place finish (Seminole Intercollegiate) in two of the previous three spring events. Furthermore, his 68 on the afternoon marked the sixth time in 10 rounds this spring he has recorded a 70 or below.

Sucher will enter the second round of play in a tie with South Carolina's Mark Anderson, who recorded a rare double-eagle on the 511-yard par 5 seventh hole, and LSU's Clayton Rotz.

Just behind Sucher is senior Brad Smith, who carded a two-under par 70 on the afternoon and is in a tie for seventh overall. Smith's highlight of the round came on 526-yard, par-5 ninth hole, as he recorded the only eagle on the hole during the day. The nation's 69th-ranked player also had one of the five eagles recorded by the field during the opening 18 holes.

Junior Mike Oimoen is in a tie for 23rd overall with a one-over par 73 during the opening round. Sophomore Blake West is in 49th overall with a three-over par 75, while senior Kyle Sapp rounds out UAB with a four-over 76.

Second round play begins on Saturday, March 15, with the Blazers teeing off at 8:45 a.m. CT. Live stats can be followed on golfstat.com.