Shaw going well at NCAA Championship in Virginia
Gareth Shaw was the leading Irishman in the individual standings after the opening round of the NCAA Championships in Williamsburg, Virginia on Wednesday but Niall Turner's University of Minnesota team were right in the hunt for the team title.
Shaw, a Walker Cup 2007 panellist from Lisburn, shot a one-under-par 69 at the Golden Horseshoe Golf Club on Wednesday to claim a tie for 15th place after 18 of the 72 holes in these US collegiate golf finals.
That was five shots back on the individual lead held by Stanford University's Rob Grube with Shaw joined on one under by East Tennessee State University team-mate Rhys Davies.
West Waterford's Seamus Power was a shot further back at even par, which placed him in a tie for 29th, while Limerick's Cian McNamara carded a two-over 72 to tie for 66th. Collectively, East Tennessee State carded an even-par round that put them in seventh place after round one, five shots adrift of overnight leaders Stanford.
Even better placed were Turner's Minnesota Gophers. Corkman Turner, who finished tied for 10th at last year's championships in Oregon as the Gophers claimed third place, recorded an opening round of 71, one-over par.
Three of the four Irishmen in the tournament, which ends on Saturday, went into the event having been honoured in their respective PING All-Region teams, which were announced this week by the Golf Coaches Association of America.
Turner, who has been ranked as high as 26th in Golfweek's collegiate golf rankings, was earlier this month named in his all-conference team after finishing seventh at the Big Ten Championships. This week saw him pick up All-Midwest Region honours alongside team-mate Bronson La'Cassie.
ETSU's Shaw and Power, meanwhile were in the PING South All-Region team alongside Welsh team-mate Davies. Power, enjoying a remarkable rookie season, captured the Atlantic Sun Conference individual championship in April.
The PING All-Region teams consist of the top 15 individuals in their region in the Individual Ranking System.
NCAA Championship play continues on Thursday at the Robert Trent Jones Snr layout, which the renowned course architect called his "finest design".
