ROGERS -- As the points leader in the Player of the Year standings, Ryan Spurlock of Maumelle had the honor of hitting the first tee shot as the Arkansas State Golf Association Junior Stroke Play got started at Shadow Valley Country Club on Monday.
Spurlock went out hot, making birdies on four of the first five holes and made eight birdies in a 3-under round of 69.
ASGA Stroke Play Championship
At Shadow Valley CC, Rogers
Boys
^Golfer^Rd. 1
1.^Ryan Spurlock^69
2.^Matthew Cole^70
T3.^Dane Kemp^71
T3.^Jackson Marseilles^71
T5.^Whit Parker^72
T5.^Jack Robertson^72
7.^Andrew Elsass^73
T8.^Kyle Covington^74
T8.^Garrett May^74
T8.^Pete Carroll^74
Girls
T1.^Eizabeth Moon^79
T1.^Kirsten Garner^79
T3.^Audrey Pulliam^83
T3.^Camryn Parsons^83
5.^Katelyn Dunstan^84
T6.^Josie Roberson^85
T6.^Taylor Erickson^85
T6.^Alexa Goodlow^85
T6.^Christian Barrett^85
10.^Hannah Bakelekos^86
Complete results at www.asga.org
"I like going out early," Spurlock said. "I wanted to go out and play aggressive golf and have some fun."
Spurlock cooled off on the back side but still holds a lead over Matthew Cole of Fayetteville, who shot 70. Monday's opening round of the tournament was delayed by a steady rain.
"When you make eight birdies, you'd like to go a little lower than that, but it was a good score coming in," Spurlock said. "This is a tough course and you have to be aggressive and hit good iron shots into the greens to score well."
Cole also had some good moments, scoring six birdies, but had two double-bogeys to keep from going low.
A steady rain greeted the golfers early in the day for about 20 minutes and eventually came back and halted play later in the afternoon.
"I came out pretty lucky with the weather," Cole said. "It was letting up right as I was teeing off and I finished up right before it really started coming down again. It was a good round, I just had two bad holes."
Jackson Marseilles of Harrison and Dane Kemp each shot 1-under 71s.
"This course is a lot harder than my home course, and honestly, I just wanted to break 80," Marseilles said. "I putted really well. I made every one from inside of about 8 feet. This is the best round I have ever had in an ASGA event."
Kirsten Garner of Hot Springs, the defending ASGA Junior Girls Player of the Year, shared the girls division lead with Elizabeth Moon, each with an opening round 79.
Garner is headed to Arkansas State next year on a golf scholarship.
"It was a tough course," Garner said. "It is pretty long, and then the rain didn't help. When it is raining there is not much you can do about it but try to ignore it, because you are going to get wet."
Bailey Dunston, age 11, of Little Rock was the youngest girl in the field and played in her first 18-hole event, shooting a 98 on a day when the field struggled to break 80.
"I wanted to shoot a 95," Dunston said. "I putted really good. I just have to work on chipping a little better."
The tournament will conclude today at Shadow Valley Country Club.
Sports on 06/24/2014