ALBUQUEQUE, N.M. – Saint Peter's senior men's golfer Nicholas Dilio (Hopwell Junction, N.Y./John Jay) sits in 66th place after the first round of the NCAA Albuquerque Regional on Monday.
The senior posted one birdie, five bogeys and a triple bogey to finish with a round of 79 in 68th place to sit 11 strokes behind the current leaders. Dilio started his day with bogeys on the first, second and fifth holes to finish the first nine holes at the turn with a three-over par score of 39. The senior then started the back nine with a triple bogey on 10 and a bogey on 13. Dilio then notched his first birdie of the tournament on 15 before posting a bogey on 16 and 17 to finish the final nine holes with a 41 to end with a total of 80.
Dilio is making his third appearance in the NCAA Regionals after Saint Peter's won the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Men's Golf Championships in 2014 and 2015 top punch the senior's first two tickets to the national stage. Dilio finished 67th in 2014 at the NCAA Sugar Grove Regional with a three-round score of 245 and placed 73rd in 2015 at the NCAA New Haven Regional with a three-round score of 235. In the first round at Sugar Grove Dilio shot an 82 while carding a 78 in the first round at New Haven.
Dilio advanced to the NCAA Regionals after winning the individual title at the MAAC Championships on Apr. 24. The senior posted two-under par rounds of 70 in the first and final round and an even-par round of 72 in the second round to card a 212 and win the individual crown by five strokes to become the first-ever Saint Peter's player to win the individual title. Dilio posted 10 birdies and six bogeys during his 36 holes and played bogey free during his last 25 holes.
Dilio will be paired with Wagner and Cleveland State for the second round of the NCAA Albuquerque Regionals. They will tee off from the 10th tee at 9:50 p.m.
