Despite more than six inches of rain earlier in the week, the Tega Cay Golf Club course proved resilient for the opening round of the Men’s Club Championships on Saturday. Players were met with excellent conditions, setting the stage for an exciting first day of competition across multiple divisions.
The championships feature gross scoring in the Club, Senior, and Super Senior divisions, while the Open Flights use net scores with handicaps applied. The open divisions also employ a ringer format, allowing each golfer’s best score on each hole from both rounds to be combined into a final 18-hole score — a system that could lead to major leaderboard shifts on Sunday.
In the Club Championship, John Van Vranken and Adam Byerly share the lead at even-par 71, with Jason Hnat close behind at 73. Kenny Hall tops the Senior Championship with a 76, one shot ahead of Andy Zondervan. In the Super Senior Championship, Ryan Ratcliffe holds the lead at 75, followed by Gary Anderson at 78, and a tie for third between Doug McGowan and Gary Martin at 79.
The Open Flight Division 1 leaderboard is paced by Larry Elia with a net 69, followed by Greg Kniska at net 72 and Tyler Birchfield at net 73. In Division 2, Bob Auman and Dan Manes are tied for the lead at net 71, with Mark Cruz and Dave Morgan two shots back.
Notable skins winners included Colin Plumb, who scored both a gross eagle and a net eagle on the first hole, and Greg Kniska, who took gross and net skins on the seventh. Other net skin highlights came from John Van Vranken, Eric Thompson, JJ Ward, Dave Morgan, and Dave Frascona.
With close margins across all divisions and the ringer format in play, Day 2 promises plenty of movement on the leaderboards before champions are crowned.
