The Bulldogs are under par and in contention after the opening 18 holes of the 2024 GOLFWEEK National Golf Invitational Championship.
 
The 10-team event in Maricopa, Ariz., continues Saturday and Sunday with rounds each day to crown the eventual 54-hole tournament champion.   
 
The NGI gives teams on the outside of the NCAA postseason a chance to have a season-ending championship of their own.
 
Butler's four-under total of 284 has them five shots off the lead of TCU, which carded a nine-under 279 Friday. The Bulldogs are fifth among a contested leaderboard. Butler has a six-shot advantage over Cal State-Northridge, which is sixth in the day-one standings.
 
Butler's top performer Friday was Leo Zurovac, who is third on the leaderboard after an opening round 68.
 
Zurovac's four-under round on the 7,323-yard Ak-Chin Southern Dunes course featured an eagle on the par-5, 584-yard seventh hole in addition to five birdies.
 
He is one of the three Bulldogs who are under par after the first 18 as Will Horne (70) and Damon Dickey (68) joined him in red numbers. Dickey's card included six birdies, while Horne circled five holes.
 
Washington State's Preston Bebich and TCU's Jack Beauchamp share the lead at 67 (-5), one shot ahead of Zurovac.

THE BULLDOGS:  
3) Leo Zurovac, 68 (-4)
T9) Will Horne, 70 (-2)
T15) Damon Dickey, 71 (-1)
T31) Derek Tabor, 75 (+3)
T31) Daniel Tanaka, 75 (+3)
 
Saturday's play is scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. local time as players will go off the tees at No. 1 and No. 10.
 
Live scoring will be available via GolfStat with a link available on the schedule page of ButlerSports.com.