The JU men’s golf team struggled in its first day of its fall finale, sitting in seventh place after 36 holes at the Central Florida Sports Commission Invitational.

Justin Jones and Jamey Salmon led the Dolphins with a first day total of seven-over par, 151, to tie for 19th. The Dolphins opened with a 21-over par, 309, in the morning and followed with a 13-over par, 301, in the afternoon to finish at 610, 34-over par.

Florida Gulf Coast leads the nine-team event at 12-under par, 564. Bethune-Cookman’s Willie Mack shot rounds of 68 and 70 to lead the individual competition at six-under par, 138.

“You have to chalk this day up to golf being golf,” said JU head coach Mike Blackburn. “We let a few little things get to us and we were never able to recover.”

Jones opened with a four-over par 76 and followed with a three-over par 75 while Salmon shot 75 in the morning and 76 in the afternoon.

Stephen Healy found his game in the afternoon, carding a season-best one-under par 71, but shot a nine-over par 81 to finish in a tie for 24th at eight-over par, 152.

Bobby Fredeking carded a pair of 79s to tie for 38th at 14-over par, 158. Taylor Szyndlar is tied for 40th at 16-over par, 160, after rounds of 79 and 81.

The Dolphins will go off in the final round with Bethune-Cookman and Lipscomb at 8:30 a.m.