Alexandra Braga of Denver Country Club, bidding to become the first female champion of the Colorado PGA Professional Championship, shot a 3-under-par 69 and grabbed a one-stroke lead after Monday’s opening round of the event at TPC Colorado in Berthoud.
Braga, a 34-year-old from Edgewater who has twice won the Colorado PGA Women’s Championship, eagled two of her first six holes (a par-5 and a par-4) and added a birdie and two bogeys to shoot the 69 at the new Arthur Schaupeter-designed Scottish links-style course.
TPC Colorado, which is hosting its first major tournament this week, bared its teeth on Monday, yielding just seven-par scores, with Braga’s being the only one in the 60s.
Remington Post of the Raven Golf Club at Three Peaks shot a 2-under-par 70, making four birdies after being 2 over par through three holes, to hold second place.
The other five players under par posted 71s: Steve Grove, Phil Gerlach, Ben Honaman, Patrick Reidy and Dustin Miller.
Two former champions — 2012 winner Caine Fitzgerald and 2006 champ Mike Northern — shot even-par-72s to open the tournament. Fitzgerald didn’t make a score higher than par until double bogeying the 18th hole. Northern made four birdies on Monday, but bogeyed the last two.
Three-time champion Doug Rohrbaugh started with a birdie-less 75.
The tournament will continue through Wednesday.
Colorado PGA Professional Championship
Sept. 10-12, 2018 at Par-72 TPC Colorado in Berthoud
Leaders
Alexandra Braga 69
Remington Post 70
Steve Grove 71
Phil Gerlach 71
Ben Honaman 71
Patrick Reidy 71
Dustin Miller 71
Eric Bradley 72
Caine Fitzgerald 72
Mike Northern 72
Michael Weingartner 72
Bryan Heim 72
For all the scores, CLICK HERE.
