Tampa Concludes Day One at 2012 Florida Blue SSC Golf Championships

BRADENTON, Fla. - Defending champion Nova Southeastern fired an opening-day score of 579 to build a 19-stroke cushion after Monday's action at the 2012 Florida Blue Sunshine State Conference Men's Golf Championship.

Host Tampa is ninth after day one at the championships. The event will conclude with 18 holes on Tuesday at The Concession in Bradenton, Fla.

The Sharks (298-281) placed all four of their scoring golfers in the top ten, led by Oscar Lengden, who leads the field with a two-under par 142 (74-68). Mitch Farrer carded a one-under 143 (73-70) for NSU to tie for second. Ricardo Celia (74-74) and Ben Vertz (77-71) are tied for eighth at 148.

Florida Southern (297-301) and Florida Tech (299-299) are knotted in second place in the team standings, with each squad turning in a 598. Eckerd sits in fourth place with a score of 604 (300-304). Lynn rounds out the top five with a 605 (303-302).

Eckerd's Callum Georgallides posted a one-under 143 (70-73) to tie for second in the individual standings after 36 holes. Lynn's Marcelo Rozo is fourth with a 145 (76-69), followed closely by Rollins' Tyler Sluman in fifth with a 146 (77-69).

Scores were extremely close after the first 18 holes, with only one stroke separating Florida Southern (297), Nova Southeastern (298), and Florida Tech (299) in the top third of the standings. The Sharks scorched the greens of The Concession in the second 18, shaving a whopping 17 strokes off their score to open the 19-stroke cushion.

Play in Tuesday's final round will begin at 8:30 a.m. Live scoring will be provided throughout the round on the Golfstat website.