NAIA NATIONAL TOURNAMENT UNDERWAY
May 22, 2007

PLYMOUTH, IN:  The 56th annual NAIA Men’s Golf Tournament got underway on Tuesday at Indiana National Golf Club.  The ninth ranked Texas Wesleyan University squad got off to a slow start while four other Region VI teams dominated the field on day one.

The Rams got off to a rough start for the second straight year.  Last year, the Rams recovered from a first round score of 302 to post an eighth place finish.  This season, they will have to rally from a card of 303 that put the in 16th place in the field of 32 teams.

Meanwhile four fellow Region VI teams occupy the top four spots after one round.  Top ranked Oklahoma City leads the field after firing a seven-under par 281.  Second ranked Oklahoma Christian sits at one-under 287.  Twelfth ranked Northwood shot even par, 288, to hold the third position four strokes ahead of third ranked Wayland Baptist.

Ryan Stephens led the Rams with an even-par 72.  Stephens overcame three bogies with birdies on the par-three eleventh, and par-five fourth and fourteenth.  Mitch Hendon birdied two of his last seven holes to post a card of 73.

A double-bogey on the par-four fifteenth hurt Kevin Doskocil in his first national tournament appearance.  Doskocil finished with a first-round 77.  Dan Hahn rounded out Texas Wesleyan’s card with a score of 81 while Will Woodring finished at 83.

The Rams will look to begin to climb the leader board in second round action on Wednesday.  Texas Wesleyan tees off at 1:36 p.m.  Links to live scoring and the tournament website can be found at www.ramsports.net.

Fin.  Name            Scores

T10   Ryan Stephens   72

T19   Mitch Hendon    73

T82   Kevin Doskocil  77

T126  Dan Hahn        81

T133  Will Woodring   83