Four share River-Cade Amateur lead
By Barry Amundson Journal staff writer | Posted: Sunday, July 13, 2008
Las Vegas golfer Brian Evans was lining up his putts on the practice green at Green Valley golf course late Saturday afternoon, hoping it might pay off today in the final round of the River-Cade Amateur.
Practice might be a good thing as 16 golfers were within two shots of the lead.
Among the first-round leaders at 71, along with former Green Valley employee Evans, were Mark Albert of Sioux City, Wayne State golfer Adam Fields and former North golfer Brian Barto.
Just one stroke back were eight other golfers, including defending champion and University of Kansas and former Dakota Valley High School golfer Nate Barbee and the always-threatening-to-win Ayron Corporon.
The other six shooting 72s on the beautiful July day were three-time champ Todd Sapp, Larry Franzen, Mark Hilts, Mike Moody, Chris Rager and David Young.
Just two strokes back, with one-over par 73s, were four-time champ Al Pottebaum, Cam Jacobs, Pat O'Brien and Vern Van Peursem. Alone at 74 was Billy Keane.
"It's tight," said Green Valley manager Scott Harmelink, who looked over the crowded leader's board at the clubhouse.
Evans, who now works at the Dragon Ridge golf course in Las Vegas, thinks he has a pretty good chance of winning it all today.
He called his round Saturday "steady." He shot his 71 despite losing a ball on the first hole and having to tee up again. He got a bogey on the hole, but then came back with a birdie on the par-3 No. 5 and almost a double-eagle on the par-5 No. 6.
"I was within about three inches of a double-eagle," said Evans, who tries to make it back every year for the tourney. He was in the top 10 in last year's event.
Evans followed up that excitement with a series of pars.
Fields said he wasn't very steady on the first day of the tourney, but still shares the lead.
"I was up and down," said the 20-year-old who is working at Dakota Dunes this summer.
Fields shot a sizzling 33 on the first nine, but followed that up with a 38 on the final nine, with four birdies and three bogeys. "I was very uncomforable putting," he said.
But he still feels he has a chance to win today.
"I've been knocking on the door," in several of the local tourneys, said Fields. "But I need to just go out and play my game and worry about myself.":
The Bishop Heelan graduate became a little seasoned last fall leading a Wayne State team that "really turned it around."
As a red-shirted freshman, he had a 74.33 season scoring average to have one of the best seasons ever in the history of men's golf at Wayne State.
This summer, he's been practing a lot with Barbee, who also has been working at Dakota Dunes.
Today, the friends might just be playing for it all.
But then, of course, there are those 14 other golfers who are within just two shots of each other.
Players were flighted after Saturday's round. Today, the top half of the championship flight will make the cut for an additional nine holes to determine the winner.
Practice might be a good thing as 16 golfers were within two shots of the lead.
Among the first-round leaders at 71, along with former Green Valley employee Evans, were Mark Albert of Sioux City, Wayne State golfer Adam Fields and former North golfer Brian Barto.
Just one stroke back were eight other golfers, including defending champion and University of Kansas and former Dakota Valley High School golfer Nate Barbee and the always-threatening-to-win Ayron Corporon.
The other six shooting 72s on the beautiful July day were three-time champ Todd Sapp, Larry Franzen, Mark Hilts, Mike Moody, Chris Rager and David Young.
Just two strokes back, with one-over par 73s, were four-time champ Al Pottebaum, Cam Jacobs, Pat O'Brien and Vern Van Peursem. Alone at 74 was Billy Keane.
"It's tight," said Green Valley manager Scott Harmelink, who looked over the crowded leader's board at the clubhouse.
Evans, who now works at the Dragon Ridge golf course in Las Vegas, thinks he has a pretty good chance of winning it all today.
He called his round Saturday "steady." He shot his 71 despite losing a ball on the first hole and having to tee up again. He got a bogey on the hole, but then came back with a birdie on the par-3 No. 5 and almost a double-eagle on the par-5 No. 6.
"I was within about three inches of a double-eagle," said Evans, who tries to make it back every year for the tourney. He was in the top 10 in last year's event.
Evans followed up that excitement with a series of pars.
Fields said he wasn't very steady on the first day of the tourney, but still shares the lead.
"I was up and down," said the 20-year-old who is working at Dakota Dunes this summer.
Fields shot a sizzling 33 on the first nine, but followed that up with a 38 on the final nine, with four birdies and three bogeys. "I was very uncomforable putting," he said.
But he still feels he has a chance to win today.
"I've been knocking on the door," in several of the local tourneys, said Fields. "But I need to just go out and play my game and worry about myself.":
The Bishop Heelan graduate became a little seasoned last fall leading a Wayne State team that "really turned it around."
As a red-shirted freshman, he had a 74.33 season scoring average to have one of the best seasons ever in the history of men's golf at Wayne State.
This summer, he's been practing a lot with Barbee, who also has been working at Dakota Dunes.
Today, the friends might just be playing for it all.
But then, of course, there are those 14 other golfers who are within just two shots of each other.
Players were flighted after Saturday's round. Today, the top half of the championship flight will make the cut for an additional nine holes to determine the winner.
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