Western Kentucky seniors Billy Tom Sargent and Stuart Easton each shot a 71 on Monday and finished the first day at their respective NCAA Regionals in the top 15 of the individual standings.

Sargent is tied for seventh at the Athens (Ga.) Regional following his even-par 71. Easton is tied for 14th with a 1-under 71 at the Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Regional.

The Hilltoppers are competing in separate Regionals because Easton received a spot as first alternate after another individual dropped out.

The duo’s 71s on Monday tie for the lowest NCAA Regional rounds in program history, matching Brent Long’s 71 in 2006.

Of the 32 golfers ranked in the top 100 competing across both Regionals, Sargent and Easton are currently ahead of 20 of them, including a combined six top-20 individuals.

After three days of play, the top five teams and the top individual not on those teams advance to the 2019 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championships.

Sargent is just three strokes off the lead in Athens after his even-par opening at the par-71, 7,253-yard University of Georgia Golf Course.

After falling to 1 over through 15 holes, he finished strong with a terrific save for par on the par-3 16th, followed by his final of three birdies on the par-5 17th.

Sargent is currently ahead of 11 of 16 top-100 golfers in his field. He started his second round at 9:04 a.m. CDT Tuesday.

“Today I just tried to stick to my game plan and play patient golf,” Sargent said in a news release. “It’s a tough course with some challenging approaches and difficult around the greens. The wind was pretty strong today, which made it a little more difficult, but I played really solid and made a few birdies here and there when needed and made a few really good par saves.

“Overall it was a really solid day, and I’m pleased with how I played. Tomorrow is a new day, and if I just keep playing solid golf and sticking to my game plan, I feel really good about where I’m at.”

In Myrtle Beach, Easton got off to a steady start with two early birdies and just one setback – a bogey on the par-4 15th – at the par-72, 6,950-yard TPC Myrtle Beach.

He’s just four shots out of the lead and two strokes out of sixth place.

Easton is currently ahead of nine of the 16 top-100 golfers in his field. He teed off at 8:53 a.m. CDT Tuesday in the second round.

“Overall, it was a pretty solid day,” Easton said. “It was frustrating not getting to play the full course (in Sunday’s practice round), but we made a good game plan which worked well today. It’s a course where you have to be disciplined and really stick to your strengths.

“I didn’t get a huge amount out of my round, but if I keep doing what I’m doing it won’t take much for me to post lower rounds the next two days. The wind picked up for the back nine, which made it a little tough, but it was a good start to the week.”{&end}