Day one of the Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate tournament wasn’t kind to the Northwestern men’s golf team. After Sunday’s round in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., the No. 22 Wildcats stand at 31-over par as a team — putting them in a tie for 14th place in the event’s 18-team field.

Senior Tom Johnson posted NU’s best individual score, finishing at 2-over 74 — three strokes off the lead and good for a 12th-place tie with three other golfers. Junior Dillon Dougherty notched the squad’s second-best score at 8-over 80 (tied for 48th place).

As a team, NU is 31 strokes off the even-par pace set by leader South Carolina. The Gamecocks hold an 11-stroke lead over second-place Florida, the nation’s top-ranked team.

The Cats have two more rounds — played today and Tuesday — to make up ground in a field that includes 10 teams ranked in the Golfweek/Sagarin national top 25. NU is tied with the tournament’s defending champion, No. 8 Augusta State.

–Nick Collins