VERO BEACH, Fla - The first round of the 28th Amateur Public Links Championship at Sandridge Golf Club’s Dunes Course is officially in the books. Florida’s best public links golfers teed it up today, all with the goal of being crowned champion. After round 1, it was Ian Ball’s 4-under 68 that would secure the early lead.
What Happened
Ian Ball played a nearly perfect round of golf en route to becoming the first round leader. Starting on the 10th hole, Ball quickly birdied the 11th hole before adding two more on 14 and 16. Then, to cap off his first nine with an exclamation point, Ball made an eagle on the 579-yard 18th hole. However, he wasn’t finished with his stellar play just yet. After making the turn, Ball added another eagle on the short par-5 2nd hole, while tallying another birdie on the 4th. However, Ball made costly double-bogeys on the 8th and 9th holes, which decreased his lead to one shot.
Several other players carded under-par rounds to stay in contention with Ball. Dylan Reiser carded four birdies en route to a 3-under 69 and solo-second place. Four players; Austin Collins, Jules Gentil, Anthony Amoroso, and Ariihau Faana each shot 2-under for a share of third place.
Although the weather looked like it was going to hold strong throughout the first round, players did have to contend with a two-hour dangerous weather delay in the afternoon that halted play for the later tee times.
What's Next
Players will tee off in the second round tomorrow beginning at 7:30, with the leaders beginning their round at 9:18. There will be no cut after 36 holes tomorrow, and all players can look forward to teeing it up on Sunday for the final round.
Notable
- The long par-4 7th hole played as the most difficult on the course, with a 4.74 scoring average
- The easiest hole was the par-5 12th hole, which yielded two eagles and 15 birdies
- Dylan Reiser and Ariihau Faana were the only players in the field who carded less than two bogeys during their round
Quotable
“Its great playing in this tournament. It gives everyone a fair shot at trying to win an FSGA tournament. You don’t have to be a member anywhere, and I think it's good for growing the game and the golf community.” -Ariihau Faana on what it means to play in the Public Links Championship
