BRADENTON, Fla. — Spirits were high and birdies were plentiful as the 76th Four-Ball Championship teed off at Bradenton Country Club. An abundance of low scores in Friday’s opening round sets the stage for a thrilling chase heading into the weekend.
What Happened?
The first group went off at 7:30 a.m., and the action was immediate. Spencer Baldwin and Devin Hernandez wasted no time getting into red figures, carding five birdies on their opening nine. The St. Petersburg duo would post a 66 (-5), setting an early benchmark but ultimately unable to keep pace as the day unfolded.
As more groups made the turn, several teams reached 5-under, temporarily bunching up the leaderboard. But by midday, that number was no longer enough to lead, and the race to the top intensified.
Carl Santos-Ocampo and Nick Solimene took control of the clubhouse lead at 9-under. Their number held strong, at least for a while.
Jimmy Kozikowski and Chris Anderson looked poised to snatch the outright lead after a birdie on 17 moved them to 10-under. But a stumble on 18 led to a closing bogey and a share of the top spot at 9-under alongside Santos-Ocampo and Solimene.
Just one shot back, Kyle Vincze and Jeremy Walsh fired a 63 (-8) to sit in solo third. Five more sides posted 64 (-7), keeping the leaderboard packed heading into Friday.
What’s Next?
Groups will be repaired by score for the second round with tee times running from 7:30 AM to 9:30 AM.
Notable
- There were three eagles on the par-5 17th hole
- Only three teams finished over par, four teams shot even par, and the rest recorded under-par rounds
- The 5th hole proved to be the toughest, while the 8th hole played as the easiest on the course
- Chris Anderson holed out a flop shot for birdie on the 11th hole
Quotable
“It took us a minute to get going today, just grinded out some pars and missed some easy putts, but you know, once the wheels started turning it really got going, and we just fed off of one another’s energy and hit some really good shots to make some easy birdies.” — Nick Solimene (partner, Carl Santos-Ocampo)
“Nick has been on a heater this summer and I was just happy to ride on his back through those holes that I was struggling. Then, we got a few birdies together at the end.” — Carl Santos-Ocampo (partner, Nick Solimene)
“Chris made a ridiculous hole-out birdie on No. 11, a huge flopshot, it was really cool. He also made a couple other key putts and I just feel like our games compliment each other really well.” – Jimmy Kozikowski (partner, Chris Anderson)
