EMCC's Steven Eilders cards 1-over-par 73 on opening day of NJCAA Division II Men's Golf Championship

SCOTTSBORO, Ala. – East Mississippi Community College's Steven Eilders carded a 1-over-par 73 during Tuesday's opening round of the NJCAA Division II Men's Golf Championship being held this week on the Lake Course at Goose Pond Colony.

Eilders, a sophomore for first-year head coach Benji Williams' EMCC Lions, totaled three birdies and four bogeys on the day to stand in a 14-way tie for 43rd place after the first round of the four-day tournament.  Eilders followed an even-par 36 on the front nine with a 1-over-par 37 on the back nine during his national tournament debut.

A Ridgeland native, Eilders qualified for this week's NJCAA Championship by placing fourth at last month's NJCAA Region 23 Championship held at Laurel Country Club.  With a team-leading 75.35 season stroke average heading into this week's action, he also earned his way onto this year's MACJC All-State Second Team.

Individually after Tuesday's opening round, a five-way tie exists at the top between Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College's Phillip Hickam, Seth Sanders of Darton State (Ga.), Seminole State's (Okla.) Nate Chadd, Chandler White of Surry (N.C.) Community College and South Mountain's (Ariz.) Connor Klein, who all fired 6-under-par 66s to initially lead the field of 119 golfers. 

Also competing as individual players from the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC), Northeast Mississippi's Alex Tull and Jacob Ross of Copiah-Lincoln are currently tied for sixth after scoring 4-under-par 68s on Tuesday.  In addition, Connor Cavin and Austin Terrell of Meridian Community College are jointly tied for 57th place with 2-over-par rounds of 74.

South Mountain (Ariz.) Community College grabbed the early team lead with Tuesday's 11-under-par 277 to stand four shots ahead of second-place Darton State (281).  Tyler (Texas) Junior College currently sits in third place (282) followed closely by eight-time reigning Region 23 champion Mississippi Gulf Coast (283) among the 18-team field.

Golf competition continues Wednesday through Friday on the 7,145-yard, par-72 championship layout.  Daily golf results will be available online throughout the week at http://www.mccaa.org/f/16/3/Golf/2015_Golf_Nationals.php.