PENFIELD, N.Y.  The No. 1–ranked Methodist men's golf team began play at the NCAA Division III Preview on Sunday, scoring –17 through two rounds. The reigning national champions sit in third place following the first day of play, trailing only third–ranked Emory University and fifth–ranked Illinois Wesleyan University.
 
Playing in his home state of New York, Methodist's Aiden Spampinato currently holds second place on the individual leaderboard after shooting four strokes under par in Round 1 and six strokes under par in Round 2.

JUST THE FACTS
Event: NCAA Division III Preview
Course: Midvale Country Club (Par 72)
Top teams: 1 – Emory (270-275–545; -31), 2 – Illinois Wesleyan (276-277–553; -23), 3 –Methodist (284-275–559; -17)
Top individuals: 1 – Brian Hanson, Emory (65-67–132; -12), T2 – Aiden Spampinato, Methodist (68-66–134; -10), T2 – Jackson Hiller, Oglethorpe  (66-68–134; -10)
 
ROUNDS 1 & 2

• After starting the day with a bogey, Spampinato turned things around with birdies on Holes 2 and 3. Three more birdies in the first round gave him a score of four–under par, which was tied for the seventh best score in the opening round. Spampinato kept rolling in the second round, this time birdying the first hole, then recording an eagle on the Par 5 third hole. An errant double–bogey on Hole 12 was the only blemish of his second round — which saw five more birdies after his eagle. His second–round score of –6 tied teammate Chase Walts for the best score of the round.
• Starting on Hole 2, Walts had no issues on the front nine, recording par on every hole. He began the back nine with a birdie, but posted a double–bogey on Hole 13 followed by back–to–back bogeys on 14 and 15. A birdie on Hole 17 lifted the reigning USA South Player of the Year's first–round score to two–over par. Walts had consistent success in Round 2, recording six birdies and 12 pars to match Spampinato with a –6 on the round.
• Haden Ruby had an up–and–down day, carding four birdies with three bogeys in the first round to finish one–under par. In the second round he sank four bogeys but balanced them out with three birdies and an eagle, once again ending the round at one stroke under par.
• Lucas Herring tallied four birdies and three bogeys in his first round as a Monarch. The freshman was fairly steady in Round 2, carding a birdie on Hole 7, bogeys on Holes 9 and 13, and then another birdie on his next to last hole to finish even with par on the round and at –1 on the day.  
• Davis Linhardt tallied three birdies and six bogeys in Round 1, followed by four birdies and five bogeys in Round 2.

UP NEXT
The final round of the Division III Preview will take place on Monday. The Monarchs will all begin on Hole 3, with the first Methodist golfer teeing off at 7:30 a.m.