PORTSMOUTH — Stuart Brazil, a Nansemond-Suffolk sophomore, picked a nice time to shoot the lowest round of his young golfing career, doing so with a two-over-par 74 at Bide-A-Wee Golf Course on Monday in the first round of the Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools Tournament.

Brazil’s round, which included four birdies, put him in good shape to make a run at the conference medalist honors Wednesday at Bide-A-Wee. The 74 puts Brazil in excellent shape to continue his golf season into the Virginia Independent Schools State Tournament.

As a sophomore, Brazil’s once of the veterans on the Saint team, coached by William Tomlin. Tomlin’s first four golfers will be back not only next season, but for at least two springs to come as Trey Wren is a freshman and Keith Cooper and Will Comer are eighth-graders.

The Saints ran off 10 straight victories, a streak lasting through most of the conference season and until the last match of the regular season, to end with a 14-4 record and a 7-2 TCIS mark. The record was far and away the best for a Saint golf squad in the last few seasons.

“It makes it great to coach,” Tomlin said. “These guys like being out on the course and it’s especially great when you see results.”

The Saints improved by 13 strokes as a team over their tournament round a year ago. Wren shot 80. Cooper shot 85 and Chris Sharrett shot an 86.

NSA finished fourth as a team, one spot out of making the team cut to play in Wednesday’s final round.

Brazil played a steady round, shooting 37s on each nine. He made birdies on a par-five No. 6, a par-three No. 12, and two par-fours, Nos. 9 and 15.

Greenbrier Christian’s Ashton Newsom and Norfolk Academy’s Ben Leon lead the tournament with two-under 70s on Monday.

Wren and Brazil made the individual cut into Wednesday’s round. They will be trying to qualify for the state tournament on their own.

The Saints hope they aren’t done for the season as a team. The top eight teams in the state VIS poll make the tournament regardless of how they finish in conference. In the most recent poll, the Saints stood in ninth.

“Hopefully today will help our case,” Tomlin said.