BECKER, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris men's golf team opened the UMAC Championship on Thursday with a team score of 338 to sit in seventh place after the first round of play at Pebble Creek Golf Club. The Cougars are three shots ahead of Northland College and three strokes behind Martin Luther College with 36 holes left to play.

Brady Raph led Minnesota Morris on Thursday, shooting a 78 that has him in 11th place on the overall leaderboard. Raph opened on the back nine and had a birdie on the par-4 15th as a part of a 38, before shooting a 40 on the front nine.

Marshall O'Meara also had a 38 on the back nine of the course before a 43 on the front nine left him with an 81 to tie for 19th after the first round. 

The final two scorers for Minnesota Morris in the first round were James Pendleton (89) and Tom Litzau (90). Pendleton is tied for 34th overall and Litzau is alone in 37th. Dalton Koehler opened with a 92 and is currently in 39th place. 

Friday's second round is set to begin at 11 a.m.