By Adam Aucoin
THE RUTLAND HERALD
BRATTLEBORO, Vt. — Having the home course advantage can go a long way. Just ask Brattleboro Country Club’s Ryan Kohler.
Through the first round of the men’s Vermont Amateur golf championship being held at Brattleboro Country Club, Kohler held a two-shot lead, finishing at 4-under.
Kohler sank a birdie on the front nine, but really found his groove on the back, where he had four birdies, including three in the last four holes.
Rutland Country Club’s Nick Ojala had a great start to the tournament, shooting 2-under 69 in a tie for second. Ojala, a standout golfer for Castleton University, shined on the back nine, sinking three birdies to get under par.
A handful of others joined Ojala at 2-under. The Golf Club at Equinox’s Jason Balch did so, carding five birdies. Burlington Country Club’s Troy Goliber also was at 2-under with four birdies in the first 10 holes.
Otter Valley rising sophomore Lucas Politano is having a standout summer and he continued that with a strong opening round on Tuesday, shooting 1-under, three strokes off the lead, in fifth place. The Ralph Myhre Golf Course golfer was sank three of his five birdies on the front nine.
Country Club of Barre golfer Bryson Richards began his Vermont Am title defense with an even-par 71, tied for sixth. Richards was 2-over at the turn, but sank two birdies on the back nine.
Barre’s Troy Evans finished at even-par 71 on the opening day. The highlight of his round came on the second hole, where he sunk an eagle on the par-5. He picked up two more birdies later in the round.
Rutland’s Jared Nelson and Max Major were also at even-par. Nelson had five birdies and Major had a pair of birdies on the front and the back nines.
Champlain Country Club’s Evan Russell, Country Club of Vermont’s Mike Coakley, 802 Golf Academy’s Cory Jozefiak, and Kwiniaska Golf Club’s Brody Yates joined them at even-par.
Brattleboro’s Jacob Miller had a strong showing on his home course, shooting 1-over in a tie for 14th. He ran into some bogey issues on the front nine, but finished with five birdies.
Burlington Country Club’s Nathan Godbout sat near the top of the leaderboard early with an eagle and birdie on the front nine, but came back down to earth on the back nine, settling in at 1-over.
Mountain View’s Phil Fairbanks and Champlain Country Club’s Sam Myers were also at 1-over.
Manchester’s Andrew Trask finished at 2-over on Tuesday in a tie for 18th. Trask had three birdies, including two in a row on the sixth and seventh holes.
Also at 2-over was Stowe Golf Club’s Tyler Parker and The Quechee Club’s Colby Sanville.
Manchester Country Club’s Ryan Porter, a former Mid-Amateur champion, finished the opening day at 3-over in a tie for 21st. Porter’s round was a mixed bag, but he did sink four birdies.
Ekwanok Country Club’s Taylor Bellemare was another golfer that shot 3-over. He had an eagle on the par-4 sixth hole. Lakeside’s Sean Keogh was also at 3-over.
Rutland’s Frankie Sanborn had an up and down round, but did sink three birdies, finishing the first day at 4-over in a tie for 25th. Clubmate Garren Poirier, the 2020 Am champion, shot 4-over as well.
Barre’s Nelson Eaton shot 4-over and sank three of his four birdies on the front nine.
Recent North Country graduate Austin Giroux and Rocky Ridge’s Stephen Richards were also at 4-over.
Rutland rising sophomore Sebastian Pell finished at 5-over, in a tie for 30th, sinking a birdie on par-3 eighth hole.
Joining Pell at 5-over was Dorset’s Keith Komline, Mount Snow’s Chad Bullock, Burlington’s Michael Walsh and Andy Weigand, Lakeside’s Glenn Boggini, Brattleboro’s Jeffrey Houle and Rocky Ridge’s Nicholas Murphy.
A host of golfers were at 6-over, in a tie for 38th, where the current cut line lies. The top 40 golfers make the cut after the second round on Wednesday.
Rutland’s Logan Broyles, Dorset’s Harrison Digangi, Mount Anthony Country Club’s Aaron Wood, Manchester’s Caleb Keyes, Crown Point’s Nick Trottier, Lakeside’s Eamon Deffner, Vermont National’s Ryan Manley, Ralph Myhre’s Hogan Beazley, Country Club of Vermont’s Lance Robinson and Ekwanok’s Brian O’Grady were at 6-over.
Rutland Country Club led the McCullough Cup standings after the first day with a score of 6-over, among its top four golfers. Burlington Country was second at 9-over, Brattleboro Country Club was third at 10-over, Country Club of Barre was fourth at 13-over and Manchester Country Club was fifth at 18-over.
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adam.aucoin @rutlandherald.com
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