RED NUMBERS DOMINATE NORTHSTONE

Huntersville, NC – A few years ago, when the Tarheel Tour held its second annual Match Play Championship at the NorthStone Club in Huntersville, NC, a round of even par likely earned a 4 and 3 victory and a trip to the next round. Firm greens, cold air, and treacherous pins made the P.B. Dye-designed layout play more like Pine Valley than the member-friendly course players had grown to love. In this week’s NorthStone Open, a stroke play event, even par will earn a “thank you” from the tournament committee and a quick trip to the driving range. At the end of day one, a threesome highlighted by former Wofford star William McGirt led with opening rounds of 65.

McGirt, the Tarheel Tour’s leading money winner in 2007, is fresh off of his first PGA TOUR start two weeks ago at the Wyndham Championship and clearly hasn’t lost his form. McGirt found himself at nine-under-par with three holes to play before bogeys on 16 and 17 left him in a tie for first.

All-time Tarheel Tour money leader Matt Cannon and former UNC standout Kevin Silva joined McGirt atop the leaderboard, each with bogey-free 65s of their own. Cannon, who is a member at NorthStone, is coming off of his third runner-up finish this year at the inaugural Musgrove Mill Classic and has now carded eight of his last 10 rounds under 70. Silva, on the other hand, has struggled a bit in 2007 but might have found something with his T6 finish at Musgrove earlier in the month. The Massachusetts native came out of the gates fast with birdies on six of his first 10 holes before a slew of pars around a lone bogey at the par-5 15th left him seven under and tied for the lead.

Seven players found themselves one shot back of the leaders after day one. Among the players with opening rounds of 66 are “Big Break” winner Tommy Gainey, Nationwide Tour player David Sanchez, and former UNC-Charlotte star Jeff Curl, who is coming off of a win at the Connecticut Open last month.

The 144-player field will be vying for the first-place check of $16,000 this week and more importantly, momentum heading into the Tarheel Tour’s fall finish and eventually PGA TOUR Qualifying School.

The second round will begin at 8 AM on Thursday morning. As always, the tournament is open to the public and free of charge.