Oglethorpe, Washington and Lee Lead After First Round of Tom and Bettie O'Briant Memorial

Greensboro, N.C. (10/8/07) -- Oglethorpe University and Washington and Lee University both shot four-over-par 288 Monday and share the first-round lead at the 20th annual Tom and Bettie O'Briant Memorial Golf Tournament at the Greensboro Country Club Carlson Farm Course. Four-time defending tournament champion Methodist University sits one stroke off the pace at 289.

Washington and Lee's Nathaniel James and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill's Ryan Holler both fired three-under 68 to share the top spot on the 88-student leaderboard. James birdied three of the first five holes and was at two-under 34 at the turn. Holler scored three of his five birdies on the back nine, including back-to-back birdies on the 12th and 13th holes.

Jake Pleczkowski paced Methodist with a two-under 69 that sits one stroke off the lead and one stroke ahead of Emory University's Jeremy Evans. Evans eagled the par-four third hole and finished with a one-under 70. Oglethorpe's Matthew Rebitch joined Greensboro College's Josh Cumming and LaGrange University's Ryan Willis in a tie for fifth place after shooting 71. Methodist's Devin Gee drained a round-best six birdies en route to a 72 that leaves him tied for eighth place with six others, including Oglethorpe's David Dilibero and Hap Kaufold. The Stormy Petrels have placed second in five of the last six O'Briant Memorials.

Holler and Chase McFarland made four birdies apiece to help UNC Chapel Hill's B team to fourth place (293). Old Dominion Athletic Conference members Randolph-Macon College and Hampden-Sydney College share fifth place with Wesley College after opening-day scores of 298. Tournament host Guilford College sits in 10th place after Monday's 303. The Quakers' B team is 14th at 316.

This year's event features six of NCAA Division III's top-25 teams, according to the Sept. 19 Golf World/NIKE Golf Division III Coaches poll, including three of the top-four squads. Ten of Division III's last 14 national champions are also in the field. Second-ranked Methodist, third-ranked Oglethorpe and fourth-ranked Guilford make this one of Division III's top fall tournaments. Emory is the nation's 11th-ranked team in the poll.

The teams are competing on the par-71, 6,942-yard layout in northwest Greensboro. Greensboro Country Club hosts this year's event for the second straight season. Guilford hosted the same tournament at the Cardinal Golf and Country Club from 1978-87 when it was called the Guilford College Invitational.