Sam Saunders got off to the perfect start during Friday’s first round of the 58th Navajo Trail Open at Hillcrest Golf Club. The Albuquerque native shot a scorching 29 on his first nine holes, which included four birdies and a hole out for eagle on No. 8.
Saunders controls the leaderboard after the opening 18 holes of the 54-hole event. Despite a double bogey on No. 18, he shot a 5-under par 66 to lead by one shot over friend Wil Collins, also of Albuquerque, who fired a first-round 67 and sits in second place. Benoit Bessier of Arizona is in third with a 3-under 68, while Andrew Buckle and Jimmy Makloski were 2-under 69. Jacob Loya, Chandler Smith-Stetson and Drew Trujillo fired a 1-under 70 and are all in the hunt, tied for fifth-place.
Saunders, a perennial contender, said getting off to a fast start on the front-nine was essential to build a lead.
“Obviously, it was a really good start, and I birdied my first four holes, and that was a nice start,” Saunders said. “I holed out on No. 8 for eagle from 115 yards with a 50-degree wedge. On the back-nine, I didn’t have anything going. I played pretty solid but didn’t make any birdies until 17, and then, just had a bad shot on 18 and made double-bogey, but otherwise, it was a really solid day.”
Hillcrest’s signature fast greens played true to form again Friday, as many scores came in with high 70s and 80s from the amateurs. of the 39 professionals in the tournament, only five shot sub-70 rounds.
Steady wind gusts played a part Friday, particularly in the middle of the afternoon when most professionals had just gotten their round underway.
The greens aren’t just fast, they’re blazing. Hillcrest’s stimpmeter, which is a device that is used to measure the speed of the greens by applying force to a ball and measuring the distance that it travels, is currently at 12 feet. The United States Golf Association recommends that a fast green is at 8½ feet. At Pebble Beach, where the current U.S. Open is being held, it has been measured at 12½ feet this week.
Still, the Hillcrest greens have been faster in previous years.
“The golf course was in amazing shape today, and I could tell you’ve had a lot of moisture up here,” said Collins, the 2016 champion and last year’s runner-up. “With the winds, the wind swirling, it made it really tricky out there. You really had to pick your shots today. The greens weren’t as firm or fast as they’ve been in years past, but the wind made it really tricky and it was a battle, for sure. There’s still a lot of golf left, and anything can change on one hole.”
Michael McCloskey, Hillcrest’s general manager and head pro, said that with all of the moisture the course has had, Hillcrest has never looked or played better.
“Hillcrest gave it everything today, and the course conditions were really ideal for the Navajo, and it always seems to work up to it this time of year so the conditions really play out well for the field,” McCloskey said. “The numbers looked good; it’s certainly showing its teeth, but those players out there that can really score on this golf course, a 66 to lead the first round is a really good score. Accolades to the maintenance staff for making it look the way it does. We’ve been getting a lot of good comments from folks saying that this is the best they’ve ever seen the course, and we’re really excited for the next few days.”
Course conditions for Saturday are expected to be gusty with winds potentially reaching up to 25 mph at times, but it is expected to stay dry. With the winds adding another twist to the already fast greens, Saturday could prove unpredictable.
“I know what to expect just being here for the last few years. The pin locations are great, the greens are good and there’s a lot of slope and it makes it fun to think,” said Saunders, the runner-up to Collins in 2016. “I know that tomorrow is going to present another set of challenges, but I’ll just try and go out there to do it again. I’m hoping to play the back-nine a little bit better tomorrow and keep it up on the front-nine like I did today, and it should be another good day.”
Locals in the professional field included Elevated Golf Academy’s Shea Sena, who shot a 4-over 75, while Hillcrest pro Bud Anderson finished just before 8 p.m. and ended with a 14-over 95 in his first round. Cortez’s Micah Rudosky is also in contention after Day 1, as he played an even-par round of 71 to open the tournament.
Durango brothers Bobby and Tom Kalinowski also showed their typical strong form. Bobby shot 73, and Tom shot 75.
On Saturday, the professionals will tee off beginning at 7 a.m. from the 10th hole, which was the opposite of Friday’s start, while the amateurs will tee off in the afternoon.
bploen@durangoherald.com
Leaderboard
58th Navajo Trail Open
Friday at Hillcrest Golf Club
Yardage: 7,100; Par: 71
First-Round Professional Flight
Sam Saunders 66 -5
Wil Collins 67 -4
Benoit Bessier 68 -3
Andrew Buckle 69 -2
Jimmy Makloski 69 -2
Spencer Painton 70 -1
Chandler Smith-Stetson 70 -1
Drew Trujillo 70 -1
Tony Mike Jr. 71 E
Remington Post 71 E
Micah Rudosky 71 E
