Lansing Sun

Michigan State's men's golf team is in 10th place after the first day of competition at the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional. The event, held at Finley Golf Course in North Carolina, saw the Spartans shoot an even-par 280 in the opening round. The team was nearing completion of their second round when play was suspended due to darkness.

East Tennessee State leads with a score of 21-under par, followed by Clemson at 18-under par, and host North Carolina at 13-under par. Baylor holds fourth place with an 11-under par score, while Long Beach State and Georgia Tech are tied for fifth at 10-under par.

Anticipating inclement weather this week, the teams began their second round on Monday afternoon. Seven out of the 25 groups managed to complete it before play was halted. The competition will resume on Tuesday.

The Chapel Hill Regional is one of six regional tournaments taking place across the country, featuring a total of 81 teams. The top five teams from each regional will advance to the NCAA Championships in Carlsbad, California.

This marks Michigan State's seventh appearance in an NCAA Regional over the past nine years. The Spartans are seeded No. 11 and are among the 13 teams competing at Finley Golf Club on the University of North Carolina campus.

Senior August Meekhof leads Michigan State's individual standings, currently tied for 20th place at 2-under par after posting a score of 68 in his first round and holding even-par through most of his second round.

Junior Ashton McCulloch is close behind Meekhof, tied for 24th place at 1-under par after carding a first-round score of 69 and remaining even-par with three holes left to play.

Graduate Bradley Smithson and freshman Lorenzo Pinili share a tie for 43rd place at 3-over par. Smithson recorded scores of 71 and then a slightly higher second-round score of 72. Pinili posted similar scores but in reverse order: starting with a first-round score of two-over-par followed by one-over-par in his next round.

Freshman Lucas Acevedo joined the lineup during the second round and finished with a respectable score of one-over-par that included six birdies.

The team faced an early setback when graduate Drew Hackett had to withdraw due to injury issues he has been dealing with recently.