A record-setting pace
Published 12:00 am Sunday, July 26, 2009
jbyrd@vicksburgpost.com
BOVINA — With a sore back and a tougher Clear Creek Golf Course awaiting him, Chase Smith didn’t think Saturday’s opening round of the Warren County Golf Championship would be all that special, but it was.
The Delta State University golfer set a new stroke record on the revamped course with a 10-under par 62, three strokes better than the 65 Smith shot two years ago to claim his first Warren County title. The 62 was also good for an eight-shot lead as Smith looks to three-peat as the Warren County champion.
“The guy is awesome. He’s the best in Warren County,” said Eddie Buckner, who last month won the Vicksburg Country Club Championship. He shot a 3-over 75 Saturday.
Smith did not card a bogey and had 10 birdies.
Parker Rutherford, who has emerged as one of the county’s top junior golfers, played in Smith’s group along with John Caldwell, who finished third in the VCC Championship.
“I think if you combined all 10 of his birdie putts, they were for a total of 50 feet,” Rutherford said. “He was sticking everything. For awhile there on the front nine, me and Joey Hasty thought he was going to make 59.”
Smith said he struggled early.
“I didn’t hit my first fairway until the 11th. But today was my best round out here. I shot a 65 here two years ago. I had 10 birdies in that round and I was bogey free until the 16th,” said Smith, who will enter his junior season with the Statesmen this fall. Saturday’s 62 matched his previous career best with the other round of 62 coming at the Canton Country Club.
Smith opened with five birdies on the front nine on 1, 4, 5, 7 and 9. He reeled off three straight to begin the back nine on 10, 11 and 12.
At No. 16, he had a putt for an eagle, but was short. He parred 17 and then at the par-4 18th, his drive landed way right of the fairway, but that was more by design.
“There is a lake on the left and you have to stay away from it. Once you get past the lake, you have a pretty open shot. I was just trying to go for the middle of the green on my second,” Smith said. “I hit my wedges well. It seemed everything was just five or six feet for my putt. I took advantage of all the par 5s and was 4-under on them.”
His second shot at 18 landed four feet from the flag. He dropped in the birdie putt to finish off his 62.
“He was throwing darts all day,” Rutherford said.
Caldwell, one of just three golfers on the day to break par with a 1-under 71, was impressed.
“He didn’t hit his driver all that well, but he was sticking his second shots close to the pin all day. He was just so steady and so consistent. It was enjoyable to watch,” Caldwell said.
Caldwell had a good round going as well.
“This was the best I’ve played. I was 2-under through 12 and then I bogeyed 13 and had four straight pars to finish,” Caldwell said. He was one of several VCC golfers who joined the Clear Creek contingent to form the 80-player field.
Two-time champ Mike Hurley was alone in second with a 2-under 70, eight back of Smith. Chris Whittington fired a 1-over 73 to stay alone in fourth while Buckner and Cameron Curtis each shot 3-over 75s. Rutherford was in a group of seven at 76.
“I had some bad breaks. I had one birdie and two bogeys,” said Rutherford, who plays his prep golf at Warren Central and has played on the state junior tour this summer. “I’ve played in about seven or eight tournaments. Did real well in my first one.”
The tournament finishes today with Smith, Hurley, Caldwell and Whittington teeing off at noon.