Team leader: Charlotte (3-over 287)

Individual leader: Raoul Menard, Charlotte (4-under 67)

In position: 2. South Carolina (288), 3. Stanford (291), 4. UNLV (292), 5. Auburn (293)

Chasing: T-6. Missouri (294), T-6. New Mexico (294), 8. San Francisco (297)

• • •

Full scores

• • •

Charlotte A Surprise Leader

Starting on the back nine, Charlotte quickly got to 7 under after just a few holes and remained atop the leaderboard throughout the opening round at the Columbus Regional. The 49ers lead South Carolina by a single shot and are four clear of Stanford.

Charlotte, the No. 12 seed, was led by Raoul Menard, who posted a 4-under 67 to lead individually by a shot over UNLV’s Carl Jonson and South Carolina’s Will Starke. Menard managed to post six birdies on the demanding 7,286-yard, par-71 Scarlet Golf Course layout at Ohio State to finish at 4-under 67.

“We got off to a great start,” Charlotte head coach Ryan Cabbage said. “In dealing with an event like this, it’s hard to be in position on Saturday without putting yourself in position on Thursday. Teams can do it, but it’s better to do from the start. It’s Round 1, though. We ...

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Editor's note: Full recap of the action in Fayetteville – including scores – can be found here.

• • •

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Charlie Danielson came into this year’s NCAA Fayetteville Men's Regional playing in the No. 5 spot for the Illinois team.

But after Thursday’s opening round at Blessings Golf Club, the freshman from Osceola, Wis., not only was the No. 1 finisher for the Fighting Illini, but held the top position among the 75 players in the field.

With a college career-best, 7-under 65 – besting the 67 he shot last fall at Olympia Fields – Danielson took a two-shot lead over Corey Conners of Kent State and Jordan Niebrugge of Oklahoma State.

“I just felt confident today from the very start,” Danielson said. “I just kept grinding and got the job done. I was straight off the tee, hit approach shots close and made the putts I needed to make.”

Danielson made seven birdies without any bogeys. He said only one of those birdie putts was more than 15 feet – a 20-footer on the 17th hole (his eighth of the day). He missed only one green, that coming on the sixth hole, but easily got up and down.

“The golf course ...

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Team leader: Cal (23-under 265)

Individual leader: Sam Smith, USC (10-under 62)

In position: 2. St. Mary's (267), 3. San Diego State (270), 4. USC (272), 5. Pacific (274)

Chasing: T6. TCU (276), T6. Memphis (276)

• • •

FULL SCORES, CLICK HERE

• • •

Cal goes low

The leader in Pullman, Wash., is no surprise. No. 1 Cal is ahead after a school-record, 23-under 265 that was led by 7-under 65s from U.S. Amateur runner-up Michael Weaver and Joel Stalter, who is playing this tournament in the No. 5 spot in the lineup. Brandon Hagy added a 66, while Michael Kim, the No. 1 player in the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings, is T-25 after shooting 3-under 69. Kim has finished no worse than 11th this year. Max Homa, coming off a victory at the Pac-12 Championship, shot 70, but did not count as one of the team's four scores.

Cal's round set the school record for lowest 18-hole team score and lowest team round in relation to par. "Any time you set a school record, it feels pretty good," head coach Steve Desimone said. "I guess it should be no surprise it was this team that did it."

Both Weaver ...

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Full Scores

• • •

Team leader: Florida (2-under 286)

Individual leader: Tyler McCumber, Florida; T.J. Vogel, Florida; Scott Strohmeyer, Alabama (2-under 70)

In position: T-2. Alabama (298), T-2. South Alabama (296), T-4. Houston (300), T-4. Tennessee (300)

Chasing: 6. Coastal Carolina (302), T-7. Northwestern (303), T-7. LSU (303)

Chomp, chomp

Florida is leading the tournament by 10 shots thanks in large part to its senior leaders. T.J. Vogel and Tyler McCumber each shot 2-under 70 to share the individual lead heading into the second round.

Florida, No. 13 in the Golfweek/ Sagarin College Rankings, is looking for its second victory of the year, but first since its opening tournament of the fall at the Ocean Course on Kiawah Island, S.C., way back in early September. Last month, the team finished 10th at the 14-team SEC Championship.

Thursday, however, the Gators looked as if they are determined to get back in form for the NCAA Championship.

“We have been waiting for a day like today,” Florida head coach Buddy Alexander said. “Today was solid from the get-go.”

Bulldogs struggle

Fourth-seeded Mississippi State, No. 24 in the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings, did not get off on the right foot. The Bulldogs ...

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Team leader: North Florida (16-under 272)

Individual leader: M.J. Maguire, North Florida (7-under 65)

In position: 2, Washington (276); 3, Florida State (277); T-4, Oregon, Georgia Tech, South Florida (280)

Chasing: T-7, Wake Forest, Oklahoma (284)

• • •

FULL SCORES, CLICK HERE

• • •

Straight vibin'

According to the Urban Dictionary, the word “vibin' ” can mean “hanging, doing nothing, chilling.” It can also refer to “just connecting with your surroundings, whether it’s music, reading or watching TV.”

North Florida sophomore M.J. Maguire is doing the latter in terms of his golf right now.

Maguire, known on Twitter as @mjstr8vibin, one of the better Twitter handles in college golf, recorded his first college victory last month at the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship. He’s now leading after the first round of the NCAA Tallahassee Regional after carding a 7-under 65.

“I've probably played and practiced more recently, and I feel like all that work is paying off,” Maguire said in a school news release.

Entering the tournament, Maguire was second on the team in scoring average (71.62). He also has six top-10 finishes on the year, including three in his last three starts.

Maguire was bogey-free Thursday, making five birdies ...

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Team leader: UCLA (12-under 268)

Individual leader: Dustin Korte, Austin Peay State; Pontus Widegren, UCLA (6-under 64)

In position: 2. Duke (278), 3. Austin Peay State (279), T-4. Georgia (280), T-4. Texas A&M (280), T-4. North Carolina (280), T-4. Clemson (280), T-4. Central Florida (280)

Chasing: 9. Vanderbilt (283), 10. Arizona State (284)

• • •

FULL SCORES, CLICK HERE

• • •

Team effort carries Bruins

A slow start turned into an exciting finish for No. 4 UCLA, the regional's top-seeded team. The Bruins' four scorers played the par-5 17th in a combined 6 under par Thursday. Anton Arboleda made double-eagle by holing out with a 3-wood from about 260 yards. Pontus Widegren, playing in the next group, hit 3-wood to 2 feet to make eagle.

"We didn't get off to a very fast start, which you can do out here, but we played steady all day long and then 'boom,' " UCLA head coach Derek Freeman said. "That made the difference."

The Bruins have a 10-shot lead over No. 8 Duke after the first round. Freeman is cautiously optimistic, though: "There's still a lot of golf left and a lot of good teams here," he said. "We have to play well ...

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Team leader: Illinois (282, -6)

Individual leader: Charlie Danielson, Illinois (7-under 65).

In position: 2. Texas (285), 3. Oklahoma State (286), 4. Kent State (288), 5. Arkansas (290).

Chasing: 6. Colorado (292), 7. SMU (297), 8. North Carolina Wilmington (300).

• • •

FULL SCORES, CLICK HERE

• • •

Hitting their stride

It has been an up-and-down year for Illinois. The Fighting Illini won their first two tournaments of the fall season and added three more titles this spring. But they also show a T-10 in their own event at Olympia Fields and a pair of 12ths this spring.

“For the most part, it’s been a good year,” Illinois coach Mike Small said. “I feel we began hitting our stride about three weeks ago when we won the Big Ten Championship.”

They again were at a high point in Thursday's opening round of the Fayetteville Regional at Blessings Golf Club, shooting 6-under 282 to take a three-stroke lead. But much like the season itself, it was a roller-coaster day.

“I think we were 11 under after our first eight holes (starting on the back nine), and were even par through 11 holes,” Small said. “But we came back with a solid finish, and ...

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Postseason has arrived in Division I men's golf, and play begins May 16 at six regional sites. The six-regional format is now five years old, and seems to be working very well. That's largely because there are fewer teams, which ultimately means the six tournaments operate more smoothly.

All teams now play in the same wave. That means that each teams is, for the most part, experiencing the same type of weather and playing conditions as opposed to 27 teams split between a morning and afternoon wave. Pace of play is much better with half as many players needing to complete a round each day. Questions surrounded the six-site regional format the first few years after it was implemented. Those questions focused on whether the new format would be easier to pull off or more difficult, and if the right teams would advance.

“It’s a much better format with six regionals," TCU head coach Bill Montigel said. "Every team tees off in same wave where in the past you had a morning and afternoon wave and weather could really play a big factor."

TCU is the No. 2 seed behind top-ranked California in the Pullman regional.

Some ...

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Hey golf fans!

Hope all is well on the links. I’m not going to lie, writing this blog is about the most fun thing I’ve done this week because of finals. I guess that’s the price I pay to live the life of a college golfer.

I can’t really complain though since I just got to play Los Angeles CC, one of the top courses in the country. I had heard a lot about it, but in my 22 years in Southern California, I had not been fortunate enough to play. I was excited to see the wonders of the course, but I was also excited because of the opportunity to play in the Pac-12 championship. It’s an honor to play for a conference title, especially in the Pac-12 because of the stiff competition. Lucky for us, Roger Cleveland (Yes, Mr. Cleveland himself) was the speaker at the team dinner the night before the practice round. It was awesome getting to hear his input on belly putters, grooves, and golf in general.

Playing the practice round was pretty eye opening. The course was extremely long while the greens were firm and lighting fast. It was ...

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As we approach the first day of NCAA men's regionals on Thursday, our staff of experts took a few moments to dissect each regional and make their picks.

We'll be keeping you up-to-date on each regional all week long, and you can follow us on Twitter to get the latest updates from @collegegolf, @GolfweekBRomine, @GolfweekCassie, @GolfweekRingler and @WrongRon.

Here are their regional picks:

• • •

Pullman Regional

RON BALICKI: California, TCU, USC, St. Mary’s (Calif.), San Diego State

LANCE RINGLER: California, TCU, USC, St. Mary's (Calif.), BYU

CASSIE STEIN: California, TCU, USC, St. Mary's (Calif.), BYU

BRENTLEY ROMINE: California, USC, TCU, North Texas, BYU

• • •

Baton Rouge Regional

RON BALICKI: Alabama, Florida, LSU, Houston, Northwestern

LANCE RINGLER: Alabama, Florida, LSU, Houston, Northwestern

CASSIE STEIN: Alabama, Florida, LSU, Mississippi State, Northwestern

BRENTLEY ROMINE: Alabama, LSU, Houston, Tennessee, Florida

• • •

Tempe Regional

RON BALICKI: UCLA, Duke, Georgia, Texas A&M, UCF

LANCE RINGLER: UCLA, Duke, Georgia, Texas A&M, Arizona State

CASSIE STEIN: UCLA, Duke, Georgia, Texas A&M, Arizona State

BRENTLEY ROMINE: Georgia, UCLA, UCF, Duke, Vanderbilt

• • •

Fayetteville Regional

RON BALICKI: Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Kent State, Illinois

LANCE RINGLER: Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma State, SMU, Illinois

CASSIE STEIN: Texas, Arkansas ...

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As Oklahoma men’s golf coach Ryan Hybl turned in a 2-under 69 at Oak Tree National on May 6, he wasn’t thinking about advancing to U.S. Open sectional qualifying or even about his glory days as a professional golfer.

Hybl’s mind quickly turned to Oklahoma’s chances at the NCAA Championship, when he saw that one of his players, senior Abraham Ancer, had posted 66 that day.

“When I got in the scoring tent and they told me Abe shot a 66, I was more excited about that than I was about me shooting a 69 because he’s one of those guys that can really elevate us to a chance to make it through to nationals,” Hybl said.

In addition to Hybl, Illinois head coach Mike Small and Oregon’s Casey Martin advanced out of their respective local qualifying stages for the 2013 U.S. Open. It's merely an afterthought as NCAA postseason approaches.

“I’m going to a sectional qualifier Monday [June 3] after hopefully standing for six days on my feet, watching my guys play and not practicing,” Small said. “Last year, I couldn’t prepare as much because we were at ...

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The yellow shirt that Max Homa wore for the final round of the Pac-12 Championship represented the team he regards as family. The white tank-top underneath was in remembrance of a relationship that has shaped his life.

Homa, a Cal senior, arrived at the conference championship with only three opportunities remaining to earn his first college victory after a multitude of close calls. A course-record 61 in the first round at historic Los Angeles Country Club, No. 16 in Golfweek’s Best Classic Courses, led to a five-shot victory. He finished at 9-under 271 to win in front of his family – and with a childhood friend close to his heart.

Underneath his yellow Cal polo was the high-school basketball jersey of David Stroud, Homa’s friend who passed away at age 19 after a prolonged fight with cancer. Homa marks his ball with Stroud’s No. 25 and wears a lime-green bracelet that reads, “Stroud Strong.” Those reminders allow Homa to play with perspective.

“It’s about honoring him. It makes me smile because I feel like he’s with me,” Homa said. “He was so resilient and positive about everything.”

Stroud’s influence helped Homa stay calm while leading ...

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The Golf Coaches Association of America announced NJCAA Division I PING All-America and All-District teams Monday.

First team selections include: Alex Mahlik of Central Alabama Community College, Felix Moesmang of Western Texas College, Michal O’Connor of Hutchinson Community College, Mariano Rossi of Dodge City Community College and Ben Welle of Scottsdale Community College.

The announcement came one day before the Division I National Championship, which will take place Tuesday through Friday at the Rawls Golf Course in Lubbock, Texas. Each member of the All-America teams will participate in the championship this weekend.

The individual medalist at the Division I National Championship will be given First Team honors if he was not a member prior to the event.

Below is a complete list of the PING All-America and All-District teams.

First Team

• Alex Mahlik, Central Alabama Community College

• Felix Moesmang, Western Texas College

• Michael O’Connor, Hutchinson Community College

• Mariano Rossi, Dodge City Community College

• Ben Welle, Scottsdale Community College

Second Team

• Aksel Olsen, Wallace State Community College

• David Ryan, Midland College

• Zac Sardina, Scottsdale Community College

• Mitch Tucker, Indian Hills Community College

• Elliott Whitley, New Mexico Junior College

Honorable Mention

• Frederik Andersen, Western Texas College

• Kyle Gertner, Odessa College ...

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At its grassroots level, golf is a sport based on wagering – for a soda, for a dollar or, in a tournament setting, for a trophy or a gift certificate. Betting is a large part of country-club culture, and a recent NCAA survey shows that also is the case among college golfers.

The NCAA released a report this month from a quadrennial survey of member institutions regarding gambling behaviors among student-athletes. The total number of athletes – male and female – who report wagering on sports has decreased or remained stagnant in all three NCAA divisions since the 2008 study. Men’s golf, however, stands out at every level – and not for positive reasons.

According to the survey findings, 21.3 percent of Division I men’s golfers reported wagering on sports, a violation of NCAA rules, at least once a month. That number is more than twice as high as any of the other 10 Division I men’s programs surveyed. At the Division II and III levels, men’s golf also leads in sports wagering. And while wagering by athletes in other sports is going down, it is rising among male golfers. When the three divisions are combined, the percentage of ...

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Ten of the top 12 ranked men’s teams in Division II have advanced to the national championship.

The top five teams – Nova Southeastern, Barry, South Carolina-Aiken, Florida Southern and Lynn – all advanced out of the South/Southeast Super Regional.

Nova Southeastern, the defending champion, won the regional by 16 shots behind regional medalist Ben Taylor. Taylor, last year’s Division II Player of the Year, finished at 6-under 210, one shot ahead of teammate Ricardo Celia. Two other Shark golfers finished in the top 8.

The finals are May 20-24 at Hershey (Pa.) Country Club’s East Course. This will be the third year with a match-play portion to decide the team winner after a 54-hole stroke-play portion.

Joining Nova Southeastern as regional champions are: Indiana-Pa. (Atlantic/East), Central Missouri (Central/Midwest) and Cal State-Monterey Bay (South Central/West).

The 16 other teams to advance to finals are: Barry, Columbus State, Florida Southern, Lynn, West Florida, South Carolina-Aiken, Wilmington (Del.), California (Pa.), Central Oklahoma, Missouri-St. Louis, Bellarmine, Southwestern Oklahoma State, Grand Canyon, Western Washington, Colorado-Colorado Springs and Cal State-Stanislaus.

Eight individual qualifiers – the top two players out of each region who were not on an advancing team – are: Robert ...

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