Two teams that include Coloradans are in the top five after Saturday’s first round of stroke play at the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y.
Braden Baer of Westminster and Cole Nygren of Longmont fired a 6-under-par 64, as did Alex Buecking of Columbine Valley and Jason Enloe of Dallas, the SMU men’s golf coach (the two were teammates at SMU). That leaves both teams in a tie for fifth place, two out of the lead.
After Sunday’s second round, the top 32 teams will advance to match play.
Buecking made three birdies in four holes on the back nine Saturday, holing a 40-yard shot and a 50-foot putt in the process.
“Every time I went over and hugged him and said, ‘thanks,'” Enloe told USGA.org. “We had three big group hugs over the last five holes.”
Nygren and Baer likewise totaled seven birdies on the day.
Here are the scores for all the teams with major Colorado ties who are in the field:
5. Alex Buecking (Columbine Valley)/Jason Enloe (Dallas) 64
5. Braden Baer (Westminster)/Cole Nygren (Longmont) 64
57. Tom Hart (Denver)/Jonathan Marsico (Denver) 70
84. Benjamin Sherlund (Denver)/Zach Fowlds (Lone Tree) 72
84. Former CSU golfer Jeff Fujimoto/Patrick Moore (Scottsdale, Ariz.) 72
97. Kyle Danford (Fort Collins) /David Johnson (Fort Collins) 73
Meanwhile, the only team in the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball in Streamsong, Fla., that features a Coloradan is in 46th place after Saturday’s opening round.
Tiffany Maurycy of Denver teamed up with Amy Ellertson of Charlottesville, Va., to fire a 2-over-par 74. After making two birdies on Saturday, they’ll need to climb into the top 32 after Sunday’s second round to advance to match play.
