MARICOPA, Ariz. - Nevada Men's Golf came out firing from the gate in Friday's opening day of the Golfweek National Golf Invitational at Ak-Shin Southern Dunes Golf Club in Maricopa, Arizona.

The Wolf Pack shot a collective 14-under (274) led by junior Aaron Leach and freshman Monte Chumchaivate who each closed the day at five-under, their matching 67s leaving them tied for fifth on the player leaderboard. As a team, the Pack finished the day tied for third with Rhode Island, just four strokes back of pacesetter Missouri (-18) and three back of GCU (-17).

Freshman Monte Chumchaivate birdied the first three holes to set the tone for the Wolf Pack, then added birdies on six and nine to go out at five-under. Chumchaivate got as low as six-under before a bogey on 18 brought him even for the back nine.

Leach, meanwhile, birdied the first two holes and made the turn at two-under before playing a bogey-free back nine. Birdies at 10 and 12 heated up his back nine then a birdie on the par-5 16th brought him in at 67.

Ben Ortwein played steady on the front nine, with a bogey at No. 7 his only blemish before heating up on the back nine. The senior opened the back nine with three pars before carding birdies on four of the next five holes to get down to three-under and into a tie for 14th on the leaderboard.

Jonatham Kim was also under par for the Pack, coming in at 71 as he rallied for birdies at 16 and 18 to gain valuable strokes for the team. Freshman Riki Matsumoto rounded out the quintet with a 75.

Nevada will tee off Saturday morning in the second round of the event.

Opening Round Results

Team
1. Missouri - 270 (-18)
2. GCU - 271 (-17)
T3. Nevada - 274 (-14)
T3. Rhode Island - 274 (-14)
5. Mercer - 280 (-8)
6. William & Mary - 284 (-4)
7. Wyoming - 285 (-3)
8. Tennessee Tech - 288 (E)
9. Augusta - 291 (+3)
10. North Alabama - 292 (+4)

Nevada Individual Results
T5. Monte Chumchaivate - 67 (-5)
T5. Aaron Leach - 67 (-5)
T14. Ben Ortwein - 69 (-3)
T20. Jonathan Kim - 71 (-1)
T43. Riki Matsumoto - 75 (+3)