There are only two former champions in the field for this week’s CGA Amateur at Pinehurst Country Club in south Denver.
And guess who’s atop the leaderboard after Thursday’s opening round?
Colin Prater (left) of The Broadmoor Golf Club, winner of the Amateur two years ago, leads the way at 7-under-par 63 despite a bogey on the 18th hole. That’s the new tournament course record at the club, according to Pinehurst head professional Kevin Vena. And 2015 champion Chris Korte of Littleton shares second place at 65 with Kyler Dunkle of The Club at Pradera.
Prater, who finished 12th in the NCAA Division II Championships in May in his final college event at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, eagled the par-5 16th and added seven birdies and two bogeys for his 63.
Korte, the former University of Denver golfer who’s won the 2017 CGA Match Play in addition to the 2015 CGA Amateur, went bogey-free in his round of 65, making five birdies. Korte is coming off a 22nd-place finish competing against a very strong field at the Pacific Coast Amateur at The Olympic Club in San Francisco.
Dunkle, meanwhile, followed up his low-amateur showing at the CoBank Colorado Open on Sunday with an up-and-down round that included 10 birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey. The University of Utah golfer and 2016 CGA Player of the Year, who will play in the U.S. Amateur this month, had 11 3s on his card en route to 65.
Four players share fourth place at 67 after round 1 — University of Northern Colorado teammates Sam Marley of South Suburban Golf Course and Coby Welch of The Links Golf Course, plus Griffin Barela of Bear Creek Golf Club and Dominic Kieffer of Collindale Golf Course.
Welch, who has qualified for this month’s U.S. Amateur, made eagle on the 370-yard par-4 first hole on Thursday.
In all, 14 players broke par in round 1, including 2018 CGA Match Play champion AJ Ott of Ptarmigan Country Club, who posted a 69.
The field will be cut from 84 to the low 40 players and ties after Friday’s second round. The 72-hole championship will continue through Sunday.
For scores from the CGA Amateur, CLICK HERE.
