Around the Green
The latest golf-related news, notes, and feature stories from the TGA.
Rundell and Bolen take early lead at State Four-Ball Championship
(Horseshoe Bay, TX) A total field of 164 players divided over three divisions looked to jump out to a fast start to hopefully grasps momentum heading into the weekend rounds of the 2013 State Four-Ball Championship which is being held at Summit Rock in Horseshoe Bay. Impeccable course conditions set the stage for teams to make an early charge and several did just that finding red numbers after day one.
The team of Scott Rundell and David Bolen find themselves heading into tomorrow’s second round two shots ahead of six teams who all fired opening rounds of five under par, 67. Rundell and Bolen staggered out of the gates with a quick bogey on the par 5, second hole but quickly erased it with two back-to-back birdies on holes 3 and 4. Another birdie on the ninth allowed the team to make the turn at two under and from there they never gave ground.Catching fire down the stretch Rundell and Bolen birdied four of their final five holes to cruise to an opening round of seven under par, 65. Warm temperatures combined with a steady south wind wasn’t enough to deter players from going low as six teams find themselves two shots back including the two-time defending champions John Bearrie and Aaron Hickman. In all, twenty-one teams find themselves within five shots of the leaders heading into the weekend.
In the Senior division, Dennis Cahill and Tom Laurenzo took charge early carding an opening round of 63, nine under par. Their round was solid throughout, with the team making 5 birdies on each side with just one lone bogey coming on their final hole of the day. Sitting one shot behind the leaders is the team of Pat Youngs and Mike Booker who opened with a blemish free 64 and three teams find themselves tied for third in the Senior Division after all firing opening rounds of seven under, 65. On a day when birdies came in bundles, Matt Griffin added a quick jolt to his teams stance on the leaderboard with a hole-in-one ace on the par three, fifteenth, helping his team to a opening round of 68. In all twenty-three Senior teams opened with under par rounds setting the stage for a great weekend battle of golf.
Posting an opening round of 67, Bob Hullender and Mike Arnold head into Saturday holding a one shot lead over brothers Patrick and Mickey Cooper in the Super Senior Division. Showing that they still have plenty of game, Hullender and Arnold opened their round with three straight birdies and finished without a blemish on the scorecard. Patrick and Mickey Cooper had an up and down round posting a four under par 68 which included seven birdies and three bogeys. Rounding out third in the Super Senior division, which consists of teams 65 years of age and older, is Bill Stillwell and Todd Ezell who opened with an even par, 72.
