Central College senior Andrew Townsend carded an even-par 72 to tie for third after the first round of the 72-hole NCAA Division III men’s golf championship yesterday. As a team, Central is tied for sixth at 304, nine strokes behind the leader 5th Skidmore (N.Y.)

The 37-team field is divided on two courses for the first two rounds and the top 11 teams in the standings played the par-72 Hershey Links Golf Course Tuesday, a links-style course that Dutch coach Clint Brown said tends to produce lower scores than the par-71 Hershey Country Club-East Golf Course. The latter course features elevated greens, three lakes and more than 100 bunkers with a 74.5 course rating. Central will play the more taxing Country Club course today.

After today’s round, the field is cut to the top 23 teams and the final two rounds are played at the Hershey Links course. Central’s fate depends on how the Dutch handle the Country Club course today.