The East Side Amateur is quickly gaining a reputation as a shootout, as under par scores are abundant once again at Belk Park Golf Course. Defending Champion, Skip Berkmeyer, opted to take the weekend off after firing a spectacular 10-under 62 last year as he prepares for next weeks Missouri Amateur Championship. In Berkmeyer absence, arguably the hottest player in the area this spring, Brian Kennedy, stepped up to set the pace.
Kennedy has enjoyed a very good early part to his 2008 season. In addition to several top finishes, Kennedy qualified for the Missouri Amateur Championship as the Medalist at The Falls Golf Club firing a 3-under 68. After a first round 66 at this years East Side Amateur, Kennedy is positioned nicely to capture his second title of the 2008 season.
However if Kennedy is to win Sunday, he will have to better the performance of several of the top amateur golfers in the St. Louis area. Tied with Kennedy is John Anderson, who qualified out of US Open Local Qualifying at Gateway National earlier this spring. One shot back of Kennedy and Anderson are two young guns in Adam Long and Darren Lundgren. Long, a collegiate player at Duke, returned from the U.S. Open where he was caddying for a teammate to participate in this weekends tournament at Belk Park. Lundgren finished in third position last weekend at the Phil Cotton Memorial.
Two shots back of the co-leaders are two more of the area's top college golfers, Mitchell Gregson and Justin Bryant. Gregson (Kansas State) and Bryant (Wake Forest)
Round 1 Leaders:
| Position
| Player
| Club
| Today
| Hole
| Total
| Rounds
| Total |
| 1
| 2
|
|
|
| |
| T1 |
Kennedy, Brian |
Persimmon Woods Golf Club |
1:40 pm |
Tee: 1 |
-6 |
66 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| T1 |
Anderson, John |
Norwood Hills Country Club |
1:40 pm |
Tee: 1 |
-6 |
66 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| T3 |
Long, Adam |
Old Hickory Golf Club |
1:30 pm |
Tee: 1 |
-5 |
67 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| T3 |
Lundgren, Darren |
Fox Run Golf Club |
1:40 pm |
Tee: 1 |
-5 |
67 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| T5 |
Gregson, Mitchell |
Annbriar Golf Club |
1:30 pm |
Tee: 1 |
-4 |
68 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| T5 |
Bryant, Justin |
Bellerive Country Club |
1:30 pm |
Tee: 1 |
-4 |
68 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 7 |
Hardcastle Sr., Craig |
Normandie Golf Club |
1:20 pm |
Tee: 1 |
-3 |
69 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| T8 |
Thomas, Scott |
Meadowbrook Country Club |
1:10 pm |
Tee: 1 |
-2 |
70 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| T8 |
Rau, Matthew |
Quail Creek Golf Club |
1:10 pm |
Tee: 1 |
-2 |
70 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| T8 |
Bardgett, Justin |
Meadowbrook Country Club |
1:20 pm |
Tee: 1 |
-2 |
70 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| T8 |
Jones, Ricky |
Country Club of St Albans |
1:20 pm |
Tee: 1 |
-2 |
70 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
