SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Skidmore College golf team is tied with two other teams for second and four shots back of the lead after the first of two days of the Skidmore Invitational at the Saratoga Spa State Park Course on Saturday. With a 1-under 71, sophomore Tate Esler is in a share of the solo lead.

• Several players were unable to finish their opening round. As a result, Sunday's action has been moved up to 7:30 a.m. to allow everybody to finish. Then, with the same groupings, the second round will now be a shotgun start immediately following the conclusion of the first round.
• Two Skidmore players need to finish. The final leaderboard will shift slightly before round two.
• After a bogey on his first hole (No. 4), Esler played holes 5-17 at 3-under. He ended his round with a birdie on No. 3 for the 71. He's tied with Ben Scholes of St. Lawrence.
• St. Lawrence (298) leads Williams, Tufts, and Skidmore all by four. Skidmore is the only team in the top five with players yet to finish.
• First-years Patrick McLaughlin (No. 4) and Rudraksha Banerjee (No. 5) are the Thoroughbreds who need to finish out Sunday morning. A par for McLaughlin would keep Skidmore tied for second and get him a 76 which would be tied for 15^th.
• Tommy Carr is also tied for 15^th after closing out a 76. Carr jotted a par down on his card in nine out of the first 10 holes he played.
• Evan Forrest had three birdies in the opening round on a 79 and is tied for 45^th.

 
INDEPENDENTS

• Johnny Hwang shot a 79 with birdies on No. 3 and No. 12. He's tied for 45^th.
• Campbell Jenkins played his final five holes at even par, including a birdie on No. 5, for an 87.
• Eric Carter also shot an 87. The highlight of his round was an eagle-3 on the par-5 third. The hole, which played nearly a third of a shot under par, yielded seven eagles and 44 birdies on the day.
• Bradley Parker was one back of them with an 88.