71… not bad for an amateur

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/07/2011 (5480 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE — It’s been a big year already for Myles Sullivan but there’s nothing like a little home cookin’ to bring it all together.

Sullivan, who won the Manitoba Junior Men’s Championship last week and recently committed to attend the University of Utah in Salt Lake City on a golf scholarship, started this week off shooting a one-over 71 on Monday in the opening round of the 2011 Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur Championship on his home turf at Portage Golf Club.

Sullivan picked up a pair of birdies in the first round in stifling heat and blazing sun to sit tied for 18th among the field of 119 golfers from across the province heading into today’s second round. The cut will be made today to the lowest 60 players.

Derek East of the St. Charles Golf and Country Club had the best round of the day, firing a 65 on the par-70 layout. Defending champion Peter More shot one-under 69 along with four other players.

“It has been a pretty good year so far and I’m really happy to have the chance to play in this event at home. It’s a lot of fun and helps a bit with the travel costs to be able to stay at home,” said Sullivan, who graduated last month from Portage Collegiate.

“It was a bit of a disappointing start. I hit the ball pretty well but didn’t make a bunch of putts. It’s a four-day tournament and you’re not going to win it on the first day.”

‘Just boring golf’

Sullivan has played in the Manitoba amateur championship before, but not since 2008 when he was 15. That year, he won the Manitoba Blue Cross junior men’s rural championship on his home course in Portage. During that tournament, he fired a 69 in his final round but his personal best at home is a 67.

“I had a lot of pars today, just boring golf you could say, fairways, greens and two-putts,” laughed Sullivan. “I hit the ball pretty well today and gave myself a lot of looks at birdie. I hit some good putts today but unfortunately none of them went in. Hopefully I can get those to drop for me tomorrow.”

Sullivan is about to step into the world of NCAA golf when he heads to Utah this fall, a decision he made after visiting three schools and talking with a fourth.

“It was a really long process. I went for a visit, talked a lot with the coach, he watched me play a bit,” Sullivan said of Utah. “It’s just awesome there. I really like the coach, the guys on the team, the campus is great and the courses they practice and play on are all really nice. I thought it was a good fit.”

Sullivan, Scott Mazur of Transcona and Charlie Boyechko of Southwood will represent Manitoba at the Canadian Junior Men’s Golf Championship on Aug. 1-5 in South Surrey, B.C. Today’s first group tees off at 8 a.m. Later in the day, the temperature is expected to reach about 35 C.

ashley.prest@freepress.mb.ca

The leaderboard

DEREK East of St. Charles torched an already sizzling course for a five-under-par 65 on Monday in the opening round of the 2011 Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur Golf Championship at Portage Golf Club.

Here’s the Top 9 after the first day where the temperature, with the humidex, soared to 36 C.

1. Derek East, St. Charles 65

2. Garth Collings, Breezy Bend 67

T3. Jesse Skelton, Breezy Bend 68

T3. Jordy Lutz, Bel Acres 68

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T5. Joshua Wytinck, Pine Ridge 69

T5. Peter More, Breezy Bend 69

T5. Trevor Fox, Dauphin Lake 69

T5. Ryan Cook, Glendale 69

T5. Ryan Pitzel, Rossmere 69