Eric Egloff

Egloff fires 65, 41 players navigate Passaconaway in par or better

             Litchfield, NH-On an overcast day filled with off and on drizzle, Eric Egloff kept his game on all day long en route to a 6-under par 65 and a one stroke lead after the first round of the Cleveland Golf Tour’s Passaconaway Open. Jim Fitzpatrick and Shannon Sykora sit just one shot back following their matching six birdie, 5-under 66 performances. Sam Brackett, Bill Link IV, Noah Zelnik, and Eli Zackheim trail the leader by two after each shot solid 4-under par 67’s, and a host of players lie at 3-under par, led by defending champion Corey Harris, Jerry Courville, and Sean O’Hair. Two-time player of the year Geoff Sisk carded a 2-under 69 and shares 17^th place with eight other players, including Billy Downes and Kyle Gallo.

            Following four days off after last week’s Greater Portland Open, Egloff started auspiciously with an opening birdie at the par four, first hole. He then added two more birdies and an eagle on the par five, 5^th hole to make the turn in 5-under par 30. “I’m making strides,” said Egloff, who credited a “nonchalant attitude” as the primary reason for his opening round, which was just two shots shy of the course record.

            Like Egloff, Fitzpatrick attributed his solid start to a substantial multi-day hiatus from golf. “I was just drained,” said Fitzpatrick, who offset a bogey on the par four, 9^th hole with six birdies. Heading into the weekend, his only objective is to stay positive and “keep my attitude the same.”

            Hanover resident Sam Brackett carded five birdies against just one bogey en route to his lowest round of the season. “It’s nice to have it finally go my way,” said Brackett. When asked if he could replicate his performance tomorrow, he seemed unsure of what to expect, saying, “I might shoot 95 or I might shoot 61.”

            Zackheim’s opening 67 marked his ninth consecutive round under par. Having been in contention in his last three tournaments, he has grown accustomed to seeing his name on the first page of the leaderboard. “I’m in position now, and I should be all week” said a confident Zackheim following his bogey free day.

            In all, more than half the field lies at par or better after day one. Following tomorrow’s second round, the field will be trimmed to the top 28 and ties. At stake for Saturday’s final round is a purse of $63,900 and a winner’s check of $11, 800.