GOODYEAR, Ariz. The University of Denver men’s golf team shot an opening-round 4-under par 284 Friday and finished the first round of play in a tie for fourth place at the Ron Moore Invitational, the tournament DU hosts at Palm Valley Golf Club each spring. DU was one of three teams to shoot a 284 on Friday in perfect weather conditions, and the entire 16-team field trails first round leader San Diego, who shot an 11-under par 277 in the first round for a two-shot edge over a five-man team from the Royal Canadian Golf Association (279). Kansas State finished Friday’s first round in third with an 8-under par 280.

Leading the way for the Pioneers Friday was sophomore Espen Kofstad (Oslo, Norway), who was one of 31 players to shoot under par on the day with a 3-under par 69, leaving him in a tie for ninth place. Kofstad is three strokes back of a three-way tie atop the leaderboard between Troy Merritt of Boise State, and Mathieu Rivard and Darren Hupfer of the Canadian National Team, who all shot 6-under par 66 Friday for a one shot lead on the field. Alone in fourth place was Nate Page of Southern Utah, who shot a 5-under 67 and is just one shot back.

Conditions were perfect on the par-72, 7015-yard Palm Valley Golf Club, with temperatures in the mid-80s and very little wind.

DU had two other players finish the first round under par, as sophomore Daniel Wax (Pacific Palisades, Calif.) and senior Scott Tashie (Memphis, Tenn.) both shot 1-under 71 in Friday’s first round and are in a tie for 23rd place.

Next for DU was junior Jeff Koprivetz (Yorba Linda, Calif.) in a tie for 43rd following a 1-over 73 and junior Chris Gilman (Yorba Linda, Calif.), who shot a 2-over 74 and is in a tie for 50th.

The second round of the Ron Moore Invitational is Saturday with tee times beginning at 7:30 a.m. PDT.