LA QUINTA, Calif. – The UC Davis men's golf team opened the Big West Conference Championship in impressive fashion, claiming a six-stroke lead with a 5-under 283 Sunday afternoon at the La Quinta Country Club.

The Aggies were the only team in the red on Sunday at the par-72, 7,056-yard course. UC Davis carded 17 birdies, including an eagle from senior Thomas Hutchison on the par-5, 13^th. The 283 opening-round score is a program-best in the first round of play at the conference championship as every Aggie finished the day in the top-20.

Hutchison equaled the best opening-round score in school history at the Big West Championship with a 5-under 67 to jump out to the individual lead by three strokes.

The senior only had one blemish on his scorecard and recorded five birdies, including the eagle on the 547-yard par-5 13^th.

Sophomores Mark Stephens and Jacob Westberg finished the round in the top-5 with identical 1-under 71s to sit tied for fourth. Stephens sank three birdies on the back-nine after an even-36 on the first nine holes. Westberg raced out to three birdies on the front nine as the duo only had two bogeys each on the day.

Defending individual champion Lucas Carper also tallied three birdies to finish with senior Shane Muldowney at 2-over 74. Muldowney was in the red on three holes as the pair finished t-16^th.

The Aggies will be paired with Long Beach State and UC Irvine and begin round two at Noon tomorrow.

TEAM SCORES
1. UC Davis, 283 (-5) 
2. Long Beach State, 289 (+1) 
3. UC Irvine, 290 (+2) 
4. Cal Poly, 293 (+5) 
5. CSU Fullerton, 295 (+7) 
6. CSUN, 297 (+9) 
7. Hawai'i, 300 (+12) 
8. UC Riverside, 301 (+13) 
9. UC Santa Barbara, 309 (+21)

INDIVIDUAL SCORES
(Leaders plus UC Davis scores)
1. Thomas Hutchison, 67 (-5) 
T4. Mark Stephens, 71 (-1) 
T4. Jacob Westberg, 71 (-1) 
T16. Shane Muldowney, 74 (+2) 
T16. Lucas Carper, 74 (+2)