Ryan McCook hardly looked like "the best player to never win a Regions Cup tournament" in Saturday's season opener.

The young Augustan wasn't the only one to leave Mount Vintage Plantation disappointed with his round after he shot 83.

No one broke par in the Sunbelt Nissan Golf Capital Invitational's debut at the Edgefield County course that played host to an LPGA Tour event from 2001-04.

Of the 100 players in the Golf Capital field (52 seniors and 48 in the regular division), only 24 broke 80.

The leading score in the regular division, which played the 7,200-yard back tees, was even-par 72, by Chris Waters and Harold Bishop.

The seniors played from the 6,600-yard tees, and George Bullard led the way with 73.

Of the returning Regions Cup regular division players this year, McCook is the most likely to get his first win this season.

Last year, in his second full year on the circuit, he had six top-10s, including two third-place finishes.

"I led in two of those last year but just couldn't get it together," the 24-year-old McCook said.

The elusive first win won't come this weekend. He trails the co-leaders by 11 shots going into today's final round.

"All you can do is forget it," McCook said of the round. "I left a lot of shots out there. I'll be back; I hope my game is. It will be better tomorrow, I promise you."

McCook looks at his "best player to never win a Regions Cup tournament" tag in a positive light. He hasn't had it long enough for it to become a weight on his shoulders, as it did for pro Phil Mickelson when it came to major championships.

"It's a good thing," McCook said. "I wouldn't say I should have won one by now. I think I am able to win. There are a lot of good players out here and the courses are kind of tough.

"I feel like I can play well and win one," he said. "I think it will hopefully happen this year."

"I'd be surprised if he didn't win this year," said fellow Regions Cup golfer Phil Nunnery. "I think his game is awesome. He has a great swing. I think mentally he gets rattled from time to time."

That's what happened Saturday.

"The first six or seven holes, I was even par," McCook said. "Then I got frustrated. A guy put us on the clock and a guy started throwing clubs and it got me a little uptight."

Mount Vintage is not the kind of course where you can afford to lose your composure, especially not with the way it was set up Saturday. In addition to playing long, the pin positions were challenging and the wind tricky.

"It's by far the toughest I've played on the Regions Cup," said 2007 player of the year Josh Gregory, who had 76 and is tied for third place.

Gregory, the Augusta State men's golf coach, said when his team plays qualifying rounds at the course, "the scores are fairly high."

Mike Phelps also opened with 76 and said Mount Vintage was "like a U.S. Open course without the rough."

"The golf course definitely won today," said co-tournament director Richard Felder, who shot 78 in the senior division. "They're going to loosen it up a little bit tomorrow."

Felder said the tees would be moved up today in both the regular and senior divisions.