-- Story provided by Hope College Athletics --

The Hope College men's golf team carded seven birdies over the final holes to move up into a tie for 27th place after the first round of the NCAA Division III Championships.

The Flying Dutchmen's four scoring golfers combined to shoot 1-under after the turn on Tuesday at Keene Trace Golf Club's 6,974-yard Champion Course and finished with a team score of 308.

There will be a cut to 18 teams after the second round on Wednesday, May 17. 

Hope will switch to Keene Trace's 6,701-yard Run Course for the second round and play on Wednesday at 10 a.m. 

The MIAA champion Flying Dutchmen are 11 strokes off the cut line after the first round.

No. 14-ranked St. John's University (Minn.) fired a 4-under 284 on the Run Course to take the early lead. St. Johns is ahead of second-place and 12th-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University by one stroke.

Hope is tied with 32nd-ranked Luther College (Iowa) for 27th place.

On Tuesday, senior Seth Almquist (Minneapolis, Minnesota / Wayzata HS) led the Flying Dutchmen by shooting a 1-over-par 73.

Almquist went 2-under over the final nine holes with birdies on the 392-yard, par-4 hole first hole and the 511-yard, par-5 fifth hole.

Freshman Liam Casey (Northville, Michigan / Detroit Catholic Central) also finished his back-nine at 2-under by recording birdies on the 181-yard, par-3 second hole and the 545-yard, par-5 eighth hole. Casey posted a 77.

Sophomore Jack Guerrera (Northville, Michigan / Detroit Catholic Central) chipped in a 78 after going even-par on the back nine thanks to two birdies and two bogeys.

Freshman Patrick Michael (Carmel, Indiana / Carmel) rounded out Hope's team score with an 80.

Junior Will Robson (Grand Rapids, Michigan / East Grand Rapids) had an 83.