MARICOPA, Ariz. - Playing in the postseason for the first time in 24 years, William & Mary men's golf opened with a 4-under par 284 in the first round of the Golfweek National Golf Invitational at the Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club on Friday.
 
It marked the 12th time this season that W&M posted a round under par as a team. Individually, three Tribe players - graduate student Matthew Monastero and freshmen Talon Dingledine and Eli Felty - shot rounds under par and sit inside the top 20 individually. The Tribe is sixth after the opening round of play, while SEC foe Missouri leads the way at 18-under.
 
Monastero and Felty both got off to difficult starts, bogeying the first two holes, before finishing strong to post under par rounds. Sitting at 2-over through five holes, Monastero collected 10 pars, two birdies and an eagle over his final 13 holes to post a 2-under 70 and sit in 17th place after round one. He eagled the 606-yard, par 5 13th hole to get under par on his round and collected a birdie on the 170-yard, par 3 17th to get to his final mark of 2-under. It was Monastero's 10th round of par or better this season, which ranks ninth in school history.
 
Felty collected three birdies over his final nine holes. He birdied the 463-yard, par 4 18th hole to finish a 1-under round of 71. Felty is tied for 20th individually after 18 holes. It was Felty's ninth round of par or better this season.
 
Dingledine also closed strong over his final nine holes on Friday. The reigning CAA Rookie of the Year collected three birdies over a five-hole stretch to get into red figures. His birdie on the 17th hole put him at 2-under where he finished his round shooting 70. He is tied for Monastero in 17th place. With his round under par, Dingledine tied the W&M school record for rounds of par or better in a season with his 15th.
 
Junior Preston Burton provided the final counting score of the afternoon for W&M with a 1-over 73. He sits in 36th place. Burton turned in a strong back nine, shooting 2-under 34 behind 2 birdies and seven pars.
 
Sophomore Grady Williams rounded out the Tribe lineup with a 2-over 74 and is 42nd individually. He parred his first seven holes and collected 14 on the afternoon to go with a birdie on the 496-yard, par 4 15th hole.
 
The Tribe will be paired with Mercer, who is fifth after an 8-under 280 on Friday, in the second round of the NGI on Saturday. W&M tees off at 8:05 a.m. PT (11:05 a.m. ET).
 
Golfweek National Golf Invitational
Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club
Par 72 | 7,439 yards
 
Team Standings
1. Missouri -18 | 270
2. Grand Canyon -17 | 271
T3. Rhode Island -14 | 274
T3. Nevada -14 | 274
5. Mercer -8 | 280
6. William & Mary -4 | 284
7. Wyoming -3 | 285
8. Tennessee Tech E | 288
9. Augusta +3 | 291
10. North Alabama +4 | 292
 
W&M Results
T17. Talon Dingledine -2 | 70
T17. Matthew Monastero -2 | 70
T20. Eli Felty -1 | 71
T36. Preston Burton +1 | 73
42. Grady Williams +2 | 74