Elliot Geally & Andy Bare

Gealy and Bare Share Lead at Firethorne Open

Marvin, NC- Two-time 2008 Tarheel Tour winner Andy Bare and 2005 Southern Open Champion Elliot Gealy each shot rounds of 7-under-par 65 to share the first round lead in the Tarheel Tour’s Firethorne Open at Firethorne Country Club in Marvin, NC.

Gealy, who was out in the first group off the tenth tee on Wednesday morning, took advantage of calm conditions and fresh greens as he carded seven birdies against no bogeys to set the early target score of 65. The former Clemson University All American went out in 4-under 32 on the back nine and reached 5-under for the round after a birdie at the 367-yard-par-4 second hole. After converting five consecutive pars from the short par-three third through the difficult par-four seventh hole, he polished off his round in style with birdies on his final two holes at eight and nine.

Gealy’s round of 65 was equaled in the afternoon by former UNC-Greensboro golfer Andy Bare. Bare, who most recently claimed victory by shooting a season low 22-under-par at the Warrior Classic, also started his round by firing a 4-under-par 32 on the back nine. After birdies at holes 1, 2, and 4, the top money winner in 2008 in the field this week was 7-under through 12 holes with a legitimate shot to break or equal the course record of 64. He dropped a shot at the 426-yard-par-four seventh hole, but finished his round off with a birdie at the uphill 535-yard par five ninth.

Standing alone in third place just one shot off the lead is Southern Open Champion Ted Brown. Brown got off to a red hot start this morning with birdies on his first four holes. After cooling off a bit, he managed to pick up shots at the 8th, 11th and 17th holes, while playing error free to reach 7-under. Only a bogey at the 440-yard-par-four 18th kept the Canadian born Brown from sharing the lead.

Chilean Martin Ureta and Australian Vernon Sexton-Finck led the overseas contingency of players with 5-under-par 67’s. They were joined in a share of fourth place by Manor Classic runner-up Scott Weatherly of Fort Payne, AL and Athens, GA native Don Carpenter who also carded 5-under-par 67’s.

Gentle breezes and moderate green speeds in Wednesday’s first round helped 44 players break par around the 6,904-yard Par-72 layout at Firethorne Country Club, with the entire field of 143 players averaging 73.51 strokes. The second round of the Firethorne Open will begin on Thursday morning on the first and tenth tees. Co-leaders Andy Bare and Elliot Gealy will tee off at 8:18 a.m. and 12:40 p.m respectively off the first tee. In accordance with all Tarheel Tour events, admission is free and open to the public.