MUSCLE SHOALS, Ala. – The Railsplitters find themselves sitting in 10th place after shooting a frustrating seven-over par 295 in the opening round of the 2018 NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championship on Monday at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail's Fighting Joe Course. (Results) 
 
In the program's first-ever national championship round, Lincoln Memorial dropped in 16 birdies as a team – the fifth-highest total among the 20 competitors in the field. However, the Railsplitters offset that output with 21 bogeys or worse, including three double bogeys and a pair of triple bogeys. 
 
The top eight teams after 54 holes of stroke play qualify for the match-play portion of the competition. No. 1 nationally-ranked West Florida is in first after Monday's opening round with a blistering nine-under par 279. Indianapolis (-8), Florida Southern (-7), Arkansas Tech (-4) and Barry (-2) also finished under par on the day, while Saint Leo and Missouri-St. Louis are tied for the final two qualifying spots at four-over par - just three strokes clear of the Railsplitters. 
 
Sam Broadhurst, Dan Bradbury and Harry Boyle paced Lincoln Memorial with solid rounds on an unrelenting track. 
 
Broadhurst was nearly flawless once again with a one-under par 71 that was powered by back-to-back birdies on holes 17 and 18, the closing holes of his opening nine. The lone blemish on the junior's scorecard was a bogey on the par-four third hole, as Broadhurst is sitting in a tie for 15th place individually. 
 
One of three LMU players with four birdies in his round, Bradbury carded a one-over par 73 that was undone by a triple bogey on the par-four 15th hole. Despite that, the South Atlantic Conference Freshman of the Year turned at even par before posting a one-over par 37 on the closing nine to hold a share of 35th place.  
 
Like Bradbury, Boyle also made four birdies while being beset by a triple bogey on the 15th hole, which the Railsplitters combined to play nine-over par as a team. Boyle was one-over par on both sides to turn in a two-over par 74 and hold a share of 42nd place. 
 
Brady Davis and Garrett Tucker each recorded five-over par 77s. Davis avoided too many big scores but managed only two birdies, while Tucker rolled in four birdies that were undone by two doubles and five bogeys. That duo is tied for 70th place. 
 
Twenty-four players finished under par in the round, led by Florida Southern's John VanDerLaan, who picked up right where he left off after winning the South/Southeast Regional with a dazzling six-under par 66. Five other players posted four-under par 68s.
 
The second round of the NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championship gets underway on Tuesday morning.