DAVIE, Fla. – The Florida Southern College men's golf team opened up the 2023 NCAA South/Southeast Regional strong with a 278 (-6) team score on the par-71 course at Grande Oaks Golf Club to finish day one in fifth place out of 20 teams.
 
The Moccasins shot to the top of the leaderboard midway through their day where the team hit the links in the second pairing of teams.
 
Florida Southern is sitting behind Shorter who is leading the way heading into Tuesday's round at 272 (-12), Lynn at 275 (-9), No. 2 Barry at 276 (-8), and No. 3 West Florida at 277 (-7).
 
Adam Alvarez is leading the team after a four-under 67 first round, which places him third individually. Alvarez came into the final three holes at five-under when he bogeyed 16 before a par on 17. The Winter Haven, Fla. natives second shot on the par-4 18 was just off the fringe where his chip nearly dropped for the birdie, before taking the par and a four-under round.
 
Alvarez's day started with a par before a bogey on the second followed by a birdie on the third. He closed the front nine with three pars and three birdies on seven, eight, and nine for a three-under 36 at the turn. He finished the back nine with six pars, two birdies, and a lone bogey.
 
Freddie Parlby went error free over his first 18 holes of NCAA tournament play with a pair of birdies and 16 pars. He opened the round with seven straight pars before a birdie on the eighth and a par on the ninth put him at one-under 35 for the front nine.
 
The Sheffield, England native then repeated his start with five straight pars before a birdie on the 15^th followed by three pars to close the round, nearly missing a birdie putt on the 18^th hole by less than an inch for his opening round 69 (-2). Parlby will start Friday's round in 12^th place.
 
Clay Tucker recovered a pair of bogeys with three birdies and 13 pars for his first round of the weekend. Tucker went plus-one on the front with a bogey sandwiched by four pars on either side. The Jacksonville, Fla. native opened his back nine with a birdie on the 10^th before three pars followed by a birdie, par, bogey, birdie, par.
 
On the 18^th, Tucker started the chain of near drops with his birdie putt just missing leaving him the par putt, where he finished at one-under 70 and closed the day in 25^th place.
 
Max Barile was the first Moccasin to sink a birdie on the day when he made birdie on the par-4 second hole to ride a one-under to the fifth. Barile then had back-to-back bogeys, followed by six straight pars for a one-over score heading to the 13^th.
 
The Land O' Lakes, Fla. native birdied the 13^th before four pars and a bogey closed his round at 72 (+1) where he sits tied for 60^th out of the 108-player field.
 
Tyler Mistretta had to recover from a second hole bogey in which he carried the one-over through 10 holes. The North Palm Beach, Fla. native had back-to-back birdies on 11 and 12 with a par on 13 to sit at one-under before flipping back and forth from a bogey to birdie to bogey to head into the final two holes at even-par.
 
Mistretta pared the 17^th hole setting up an even round before suffering a double bogey on the 18^th to put him at 73 (+2) for the round and tied for 71^st heading to Friday.
 
5^th – Florida Southern – 278 (-6)
T3 – Adam Alvarez – 67 (-4)
T12 – Freddie Parlby – 69 (-2)
T25 – Clay Tucker – 70 (-1)
T60 – Max Barile – 72 (+1)
T71 – Tyler Mistretta – 73 (+2)
 
Florida Southern and the rest of the 20-team field return to action Friday, May 12. The Moccasins see an 11:40 am tee time with Clay Tucker leading the way for the second round.
 
Palm Beach Atlantic's Andrew Riley, who is playing as an individual for the second straight year at the Regional, is the top player after the first round as he fired off a nine-under 62. Shorter's Isaac MacNaughton is right behind in second place at six-under 65 followed by an eight-way-tie in third at four-under including the Mocs' Adam Alvarez.