Thursday, July 16, 2009

                 TURNBERRY, Scotland (July 16, 2009) - On a day when scores went low and players took advantage of weather conditions conducive for scoring, former ETSU standout Rhys Davies (Bridgend, Wales) could not quite cash in, but he still posted a solid first round score of 3-over-par 73 Thursday in the opening round of the 138^th British Open at the Aisla Championship Course.

Davies, who played at ETSU from 2003-2007 and was a three-time first-team All-American, finished tied for 108^th out of 157 players on the Open leaderboard. Davies posted a round that included two birdies, but a three-hole stretch that included back-to-back bogeys and a double bogey tarnished an otherwise solid effort. He will enter Friday's second round looking to make the cut and position himself for the weekend.

            Davies, who also qualified for and played in the 2007 U.S. Open just weeks after graduating from ETSU, is a holder of multiple school records including most career wins with 10. He spent much of his senior season ranked No. 1 in the country, and has played the last two years professionally in Asia and Europe.

            For more on Davies' efforts at the British Open, follow live television coverage Friday on TNT, followed by live coverage from ABC on Saturday and Sunday. For more on ETSU men's golf, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the men's golf link.