LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. | The Farmingdale State men's golf team carded a 303 (+19) in the opening round of the RPI Invitational on Sunday at Shaker Ridge Country Club and are in fifth place among 14 competing teams.

Junior CJ Merritt (Plainview, N.Y.) led the Rams with a 2-over-par 73, placing him in a tie for sixth individually in the 80-player field. Freshman Philip Connolly (Garden City, N.Y.) posted a 76 (+5), while Luke Grebinar (Leominster, Mass.) and Luke O'Grady-Rodgers (Carmel, N.Y.) each finished with a 77 (+6). Junior Padruig Douglas (Northport, N.Y.) rounded out the team scoring with a 78 (+7).

Freshmen Mitchel Creamer (Mission Viejo, Calif.) and Tyler Grimm (Buffalo, N.Y.), competing as individuals, each recorded rounds of 76, tying for 19th place overall.

Host Rensselaer and Swarthmore are tied for the team lead after day one with matching scores of 295, followed by Bishop University (300), New York University (301), and FSC (303) rounding out the top five.

The RPI Invitational concludes Monday with the final round at Shaker Ridge.