Nick Taylor Again Leading The Way For UW

Taylor, a UW junior from Abbotsford, leads the 75-player field after shooting a five-under-par 67. His flawless round consisted of five birdies, however, he needed to roll-in a 15-foot putt on No. 12 and then a 25-footer on No. 16 to save pars and keep his round clean.

Last year's NCAA runner-up, Taylor ended the day with a two-stroke lead over Georgia Tech's Cameron Tringale and three ahead of Team Canada teammate Matt Hill of Bright's Grove, ON, who fired a 2-under 70 for the Georggia Tech Bulldogs despite starting off with a double bogey..

The sixth-ranked Huskies shot a first round six-under-par 282 to lead the 14-team field. Seventh-ranked Georgia Tech and No. 19 UCLA are tied for second-place with a four-over-par 292. The top five finishers after three 18-hole rounds advance to the NCAA Championships May 26-30 in Toledo, Ohio.

"These guys never cease to amaze me," said UW head coach Matt Thurmond. "We had such a great day. I did not think it was possible for any team today to shoot a round that low, considering the conditions. I thought if any team shot even-par, it would be amazing."

"I started out playing good, but not spectacular," said Taylor, the 2007 Canadian amateur champion who current ranks ninth in the U.S. as an individual collegian. "But, fortunately I was able to take advantage of my birdie opportunities and I made a couple of long putts for par. "

Husky junior Richard Lee is tied for third-place with a two-under-par 70, while Pac-10 champion Darren Wallace, the 2004 Canadian Amateur title holder from Langley, BC, is tied for 10th with an even-par 72.

BC's Adam Hadwin and Riley Wheeldon, teammates with Louisville Cardinals, both posted 2-over 74s while the Cards finished 14 shots back of UW.