![Georgia’s Spencer Ralston during the SEC Championship at Sea Island Golf Club on St. Simons Island, Ga., on Thursday, April 26, 2018. (Photo by Steven Colquitt)](https://photos.smugmug.com/Golf-men/201718/Ralston-Spencer/i-BShJj38/0/937d59a4/XL/UGA%207789-XL.jpg)
BRYAN, Texas — The Georgia men’s golf team stands in 10th place after one round of the NCAA Bryan Regional.
On Monday on the par-72, 7,121-yard layout at Traditions Golf Club, the ninth-seeded Bulldogs fired a 15-over 303. No. 1 seed and Regional host Texas A&M shot a 9-under 279 to secure the top spot, followed by Baylor at 6-under 282 and Clemson at 5-under 283.
In order to advance to the NCAA Championships — which will be held May 25-30 at Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, Okla. — Georgia must be one of the top five teams after 54 holes at the Regional. South Carolina currently holds the fifth spot at 5-over 293.
Sophomore Spencer Ralston paced the Bulldogs in the first round as he carded a 1-over 73. Texas A&M teammates Chandler Phillips and Brandon Smith and Baylor’s Cooper Dossey set the pace with 4-under 68s.
Sophomore Trevor Phillips and freshman Davis Thompson each signed for a 3-over 75, followed by senior Zach Healy at 8-over 80. Junior Jack Larkin Jr. had the Bulldogs’ non-counting score of 9-over 81.
“Certainly not the start we had envisioned, but we can’t hang our heads,” Georgia head coach Chris Haack said. “We’ve got some work to do and it will have to start right out of the gate in the second round. We’re not out of it by any means. We know what we have to do and we have to go out and execute.”
The NCAA Bryan Regional will continue on Tuesday and will conclude on Wednesday. Georgia will tee off on Tuesday in 11-minute increments between 9:55 and 10:39 a.m. The Bulldogs will be paired with San Francisco and UNC-Wilmington.