PITTSFORD, NY (July 26, 2023) – Luke Haskew (LSU) played a bogey free round of golf on Wednesday and carded six birdies to lead the opening round of the 82nd Monroe Invitational. Marshall Meisel (Wake Forest) and J. Holland Humphries (SMU) had strong opening rounds, launching 5-under 65s, good for a tie for second place.

Local product Anthony Delisanti (Valparaiso) who grew up in Sanborn, NY and went to high school at Niagara Wheatfield, headlines a list of four players who shot rounds of 4-under (66). Connor Gaunt (LSU), Manuel Lozada (Arkansas), and Kian Rose (Clemson) are the other players in a tie for fourth place. Rose, a native of South Africa, is ranked 242nd according to WAGR. He scorched through the first 15 holes and led the tournament at 7-under before ending with a double bogey and bogey on two of the last three holes.

In all 25 players are under par for the tournament.

Haskew is no stranger to leading a tournament after the first round. He shot an opening round 62 at the Southwestern Amateur a few weeks back and went on to finish in second place.

Said Haskew, “I put myself in a similar spot about a month ago at a different tournament (Southwestern Amateur) and I stuck to a good plan of just staying relaxed and playing my game.” “Bogeys are probably going to come – that’s just the way it works, so I just need to keep a level head.”

Haskew, who hails from Baton Rouge, LA and will be a sophomore at LSU in the fall, was excited to take part in his first Monroe Invitational. “Anytime I get to come up north and play golf course like this, it is great,” he said after the round. “The grass is so much better than where I’m used to playing at back home in the south, but I love playing at places like this. This place (Monroe) is definitely up there.”

The second place participants, Meisel and Holland, got to their scores in slightly different ways as Meisel notched six birdies in his round, while everything else was a par. Holland had two bogeys, nine pars, and seven birdies, including on the par-4 18th to close out his day.

Meisel is playing in his first Monroe Invitational and he’s already a huge fan of the event. “I love it – I love this kind of course,” he said after the round. “It’s so pretty and the grass is so pure. The whole club and the whole vibe (of the tournament) is just awesome, so I’m really happy to be here.”

Meisel and Holland are no stranger to one another as they both finished tied for ninth place at the Palmetto Amateur held at Reserve Club in Aiken, South Carolina July 6-9.

Headlining the tie for fourth place participants is Delisanti, who is playing in his third Monroe Invitational. He finished sixth in 2021. Delisanti says it feels like a local tournament to him and he stays with his Aunt in Webster. When asked what keeps him coming back, he said, “It’s just a great golf tournament.”  “Mason Grower (Monroe Invitational Chairman) is an outstanding guy. His entire team, they do an amazing job out here. I love the field. I love the competition, and it’s an outstanding golf course.”

Jack Boulger (USC), William Duquette (Kansas), Davis Cooper (Kansas), and Carter Loflin (Georgia) are all tied for 8th place at -3. Three players are -2 and 11 at -1.

Monroe member RJ DeMonte finished the day +4.

Second round action for the 82nd Monroe Invitational will kick off at 7 a.m. on Thursday. Admission is free to the public.