LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The McKendree University men's golf team opened its spring season here Monday afternoon by shooting an 18-over par 306 to sit in second place out of 16 teams at the Warrior Invitational hosted by Winona State University and held at Stallion Mountain Golf Club.
 
The Bearcats, who are ranked third in the most recent NCAA Division II Midwest Regional rankings, are two shots behind first round leader, Washburn, who shot a 16-over par 304. Westminster (Utah) College and Northeastern State are sitting third place as each team shot 19-over par scores of 607, while Winona State and South Dakota Mines are tied for fifth with a 20-over par 308's in the first round.
 
Leading the way for the Bearcats in the opening round was graduate student Will Postlethwaite (Carlisle, United Kingdom/William Howard School) as he shot a 2-over par 74 to sit in a tie for seventh place. In the opening round, Postlethwaite had 12 pars, two birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey on his scorecard and is tied for the tournament lead in par-4 scoring as he played the par-4 holes at Stallion Mountain at 1-under par (3.90) and his 13 pars was tied for second most among the 107 player field.
 
Winona State's Bennett Thomas is the top individual on the leaderboard as he carded a 3-under par 69 in the first round to lead by three shots over a trio of players who shot even-par 72's on Monday. Washburn's Dawson Willis, Flagler's Tomas Cavanaugh and Colorado Mesa's Timmy Cavarno are each tied for second place.
 
Junior Phasin Vichitcharoenpaisarn (Bangkok, Thailand/The American School of Bangkok) sits tied for 14th place after carding a 4-over par 76 in the first round. Vichitcharoenpaisarn carded three birdies, nine pars, four bogeys and a double bogey on his first round scorecard.
 
Junior Rasmus Nilsson (Stockholm, Sweden/Danderyds Gymnasium) was the third counter for the Bearcats as he carded a 5-over par 77 to sit in a tie for 22nd place following the first round. Nilsson had three birdies, four bogeys, nine pars and two bogeys on his first round score card.
 
The final counter in Monday's first round for the Bearcats was freshman Fabian Wennerlof (Onsala, Sweden/Katrinelundgymnasiet), who shot a 7-over 79 to sit in a tie for 44th place after the opening 18 holes. Wennerlof tallied an eagle, a birdie, seven pars, eight bogeys and one double bogey on his opening round scorecard.
 
The fifth and final golfer on Monday for the Bearcats was freshman Thomas Tollefsen (Tonsberg, Norway/Wang Toppidrett Tonsberg), who shot an 8-over par 80 to sit in a tie for 54th place in the first round. Tollefsen had nine pars, a birdie, seven bogeys and a double bogey on his opening round scorecard.
 
McKendree also has one golfer competing as an individual at the event as fifth-year senior Alex Gorman (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah). Gorman carded a 3-over par 75 to sit in a tie for 11th place.

The Bearcats and the 16 other teams conclude the 36-hole event with another 18 holes on Tuesday, March 8 beginning with a shotgun start beginning at 9 a.m. CT.