Greensboro, Ga. – Furman senior Keller Harper fired back-to-back rounds of 2-under 70 on Monday and is in fifth place to lead the Furman men's golf team after day one of the SoCon Men's Golf Championship from the par 72, 7,393-yard Oconee Course at Reynolds Lake Oconee.

Harper, the two-time SoCon Player of the Year, recorded nine birdies during his first two rounds highlighted by five during the second 18 holes. He began the day with four birdies in the opening round and currently sits tied for fourth at the tournament in birdies. He enters the final day of competition five strokes back of the tournament leader at 4-under par 140.

Freshman Mac Scott had two straight rounds of even-par 72 and is in the top-10 following day one, sitting in eighth place with a 144. Scott began the day with three birdies over his opening 18 holes before coming back with five in the second round.

Sophomore Ross Funderburke is tied for 19^th place after scoring rounds of 76 and 72 for a 148. Funderburke combined for six birdies on the day consisting of three in both rounds.

Junior Jack Crosby carded rounds of 79 and 74 during the first day of play, entering the final round of the tournament tied for 31^st place at 153. He began the day with a birdie on the par 4 fourth hole in the first round, and followed with birdies on No. 6 and No. 14 during the second round.

Junior Owen Burden rounded out the leaderboard for the Paladins, sitting in a tie for 39^th place with rounds of 76 and 80 for a 156. Burden collected a total of four birdies on the day, registering two each in the first and second rounds.

Furman had rounds of 294 and 288 on Monday, and sits in third after combining for a 6-over 582. The 288 tied for the third-lowest score during the second round.

East Tennessee State leads the SoCon Men's Golf Championship after day one, shooting a 13-under par 563, leading second place Western Carolina by 11 strokes.

Archie Davis of ETSU sits atop the individual leaderboard at 9-under 135, holding a four-stroke lead over teammate Trevor Hulbert, and Western Carolina's Louis Theys and Pierre Viallaneix.

The final round of the 54-hole tournament will begin Tuesday morning at 8:30 a.m. Live scoring of the SoCon Men's Golf Championship is available on www.furmanpaladins.com via Golfstat.

The winner of the SoCon Men's Golf Championship will earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Regionals, and the individual champion will also earn a regional berth.