Texas A&M is early Valspar Collegiate Leader

PALM CITY, FL (March 19, 2017) -- On a beautiful day for golf at the Valspar Collegiate No. 12 Texas A&M took the lead at The Floridian and they will carry a three shot advantage into Monday's second round. When play resumes No. 16 Wake Forest (+7) will be in second place, in third place it will be North Texas (+8) and No. 17 Texas (+11); Houston (+11) will share fifth. Overall the field includes six teams in the top-25. Chandler Phillips and Andrew Paysse turned in the rounds of the day for Texas A&M and they are both tied for fourth at 1-under. The third best round of the day for the Aggies came from Dan Erickson who shot a 1-over 71 and is tied for 11th. The medalist lead is currently being held by Cory Churchman of North Texas. Churchman fired a 3-under 68 on Sunday and he will be the leader by a stroke when play resumes on Monday. Beginning the day on the 17th hole, Churchman opened with a birdie and after three more birdies and an eagle on the par-5 7th he was 6-under. However, from that moment on it was all about hanging on as Churchman bogeyed four-times down the stretch before closing with a birdie on No. 16. Churchman's teammate Thomas Rosenmueller is tied for second place with Papito Gonzalez of Houston at 2-under while joining Phillips and Paysse in fourth at 1-under are Kristoffer Ventura of Oklahoma State, Will Zalatoris of Wake Forest and Runar Arnorsson of Minnesota.