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PLYMOUTH, Mass. (September 26, 2006) – Rob Oppenheim of Andover, Mass., shot a 6-under par 66 on Tuesday to take the first-round lead at the New England Pro Golf Tour’s Pinehills Open.
Oppenheim birdied eight holes, including four of his last five, at Pinehills Golf Club’s Nicklaus Course for a one-shot lead over Billy Downes of Longmeadow, Mass., who shot a bogey-free 67. Denny Rasku of Deerfield Beach, Fla., is third following a 68.
“It was nice to come out and shoot a score like that,’’ said Oppenheim, who has two previous wins on the Tour. “I feel like I’ve been playing OK, but I just haven’t scored. It’s such a fine line between shooting 70 and 66, and today I seemed to make a few of those putts that had been lipping out.’’
The three-day, 54-hole Pinehills Open is the 10th stop on the New England Pro Golf Tour’s 2006 schedule and features a number of former PGA Tour professionals, as well as some of golf’s rising stars, competing for a purse of nearly $100,000.
Michael Harris of Shorewood, Wis., winner of the recent Captains Open, was one of five players who shot 69. Tour money leader Geoffrey Sisk of Marshfield, Mass., was one of 11 players who shot 70. In his professional debut, meanwhile, Jim Renner of Plainville, Mass., shot 73. Overall, 22 players broke par.
Wednesday’s second round will be played on the Jones Course, where Oppenheim hopes to continue his strong play. On Tuesday, he made a 10-foot birdie putt on his opening hole and could have posted a very low round except for a double-bogey at his 13th hole after driving into a fairway bunker.
“It was just that one hiccup,’’ said Oppenheim, whose 66 marked his second-best round of the year. “But I wasn’t too disappointed because I knew I was playing well.’’
As he has for most of the year. Oppenheim opened the season with two wins on the Canadian Tour. He competed in his first two PGA Tour events, making the cut at the Canadian Open. While he hasn’t won this season on the New England Pro Golf Tour, he has three top-five finishes, including a runner-up at the Blackstone Open.
“It was a great start to the year, and I’ve continued to play well,’’ said Oppenheim, who won the 2005 Atkinson Open and the 2004 Captains Open. “I just want to continue to play well the rest of the year.’’
Following the Pinehills Open, the Tour heads to Twisted Dune in Egg Harbor Township, N.J., Oct. 3-5 for the Greater Atlantic City Open – the final event on the Tour’s 2006 schedule.