Bryant Picks Up Where He Left Off at the 35th Metropolitan Amateur
Westwood, MO - The first round of the 35th Metropolitan Amateur Championship at Westwood Country Club did not disappoint. A comfortable day with temperatures not exceeding 80 degrees assisted players to a nice day for golf. A few early spitting rain clouds and afternoon winds did not dampen their spirits. 148 players teed it up in this year’s marquee championship. Players were sent off in two waves - morning and afternoon - from both Holes 1 and 10. Five past champions entered this year’s field, including defending Champion, Justin Bryant. The course played to a par 71 at 6,916 yards.
After the morning wave of players completed their rounds, Corey Choate of The Legends Country Club sat in the clubhouse as the sole leader at four-under (-4) par. Choate had never played this course before and was able to fire a bogey-free round with three birdies in the first four holes. The 2019 Champion, Brad Carpenter of Franklin County Country Club, was the second lowest round of the morning wave. Carpenter also shot a bogey-free round to end the day at two-under (-2) par. Completing the morning’s top five was a group at one-under (-1) par. This group included Conner McCall of Vandalia Country Club, Kevin Jeske of Aberdeen Golf Club, and three-time Champion Drew Pranger of Glen Echo Country Club.
The afternoon wave of golfers saw a bit more action on the board. David Strickland of Tapawingo National Golf Club was the first to match Choate’s performance. Strickland was just one-under at the turn and carded four birdies in the last six holes to come in at four-under (-4) par to tie the lead. Chris Kovach of Old Hickory Golf Club was the next to join the top at four-under (-4) par. Kovach’s round featured a bogey-free front nine and a birdie on the final hole to secure a T1 spot on the board. Playing with Kovach was Bubba Chapman of Bellerive Country Club. Chapman pulled together a bogey-free back nine with three birdies to end the day at three-under (-3) par. Keenan Flemming of the Metropolitan eClub, Sean Brennan of Westborough Country Club, and Dylan Handlin of the USGA/MetAmateur GC joined the group at one-under (-1) par.
Then, defending Champion, Justin Bryant came into the clubhouse. Bryant fired a scorching six-under (-6) par to overtake his competition for the lead. Starting on Hole 10, he came out of the gate with a bogey-free first nine, coupled with three birdies. Despite a bogey on Hole 2, Bryant added four more birdies on his final nine to claim his spot back on the top of the leaderboard.
Once all scores were posted, Justin Bryant picked up right where he left off, sitting on top at six-under par. Three are tied in second at four-under par. Three-under par is solo fifth and two-under par is solo sixth. Six players sit at one-under par in a tie for seventh.