Ladd Leads At Columbia

Stephen Poole

Blythewood, SC- David Ladd fired a 5-under par 67 to grab the first round lead at the Tarheel Tour’s Columbia Open at Columbia Country Club Tuesday.

Ladd, a native of Palm Beach Gardens, Fl made four birdies and a bogey on the outward nine before finishing up his day with seven pars and a birdie on the homeward half of the celebrated Ellis Maples design. Ladd took advantage of the softer morning conditions and managed to negotiate the slippery Columbia Country Club putting surfaces before the wind picked up later in the day.

Sitting one shot behind Ladd is Greer, SC native Stephen Poole Jr. Poole managed to fire bogey free round of 68 leaving the Clemson graduate only one shot back heading into Wednesday’s second round. Poole is trying to avoid his second straight missed cut after posting a fourth place finish at the Northstone Open, his best of the season, back in August.

A gaggle of players sit two shots behind Ladd, including Charlotte, NC native Stephen Woodard. The SMU alumnus sat out the first half of the 2007 Tarheel Tour season, but has become a regular of late in his attempt to prepare for PGA Tour qualifying school. Woodard made seven birdies and four bogeys Tuesday as he looks to improve on his 40th place finish at last week’s MonaVie Open.

Also among the players who opened their tournament by firing a 3-under par 69 is Roberto Castro. The 2007 Spring Creek Classic champion made bookend bogeys at the first and last holes of the day, but in between carded five birdies to keep himself in the hunt. Castro’s strong start makes it likely that he will make his sixth consecutive cut since graduating from Georgia Tech late this spring.

The top local player after the first round is Columbia’s own Scott Feaster. The former University of South Carolina Gamecock managed to post seven birdies and five bogeys in round one and sits three shots behind Ladd. The Columbia Open is Feaster’s first Tarheel Tour event since his fourth place finish at Musgrove Mill back in August, his best finish this season.

After the dust settled, 38 players were able to break par after one round on the difficult Columbia Country Club layout. The field will be cut to the low 44-players plus ties after Wednesday’s second round. The players who survive to play Thursday’s final round will battle it out for the first place check of $15,000. As always the public is welcome to watch the PGA Tour stars of tomorrow free of charge. The second round will begin Wednesday morning at 8:30.

 


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