SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Furman's Sam Lape (+9) competed Friday in the opening round of the 2023 NCAA Championship, which is being contested this weekend at the par-70, 7,289 yard Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.

A senior from Atlanta, Ga., Lape teed off on No. 1 and birdied his opening hole.  He turned at 3-over and concluded the round at 9-over par.  With 30 teams and six individuals in the field, play is estimated to conclude at 10 p.m. ET.  Scores will be updated at https://results.golfstat.com/public/leaderboards/gsnav.cfm?pg=team&tid=26002 throughout the evening. 

Lape will tee off on No. 10 at 1:42 p.m. PT (4:42 p.m. ET) in Saturday's second round and will play in a group that includes Luke O'Neill of Kansas State and Will King of Kansas.  

Lape fired a final-round 64 to finish second, the highest regional finish in Furman men's golf history, at the NCAA Salem Regional and claim the region's individual bid to the championship.  He posted rounds of 65-72-64=201 to finish 15-under par at the event.  Lape, who is the first Paladin to compete at the NCAA Championship since Kirk Satterfield finished fifth at the 2001 NCAA East Regional to advance to the finals, holds a 71.6 stroke average over 36 rounds this season.  He tied for fifth at the SoCon Championships for the second year in a row and has five top-20 finishes during his senior campaign.

A field of 30 teams and six individuals is playing 54 holes of stroke play over the course of three days, beginning Friday and continuing through Sunday.  The top 15 teams and nine individuals not on an advancing team will then play one additional round of stroke play on Monday, May 29.  An individual champion will be crowned after 72 holes of competition. 

Live scoring of the NCAA Championships is available at www.golfstat.com or by logging onto www.furmanpaladins.com.  The Golf Channel will provide prime time coverage of the tournament starting on Monday, May 29.