Colorado duo dynamic in opening round at The Golf Club at Southwind
By Brett Marshall, The Garden City Telegram, Kan.
Aug. 05–Andy Connell and Derek Tolan reside in Denver and suburban Centennial, Colo.
1 Brad Nading/TelegramWes Stonestreet hits a fairway shot on The Golf Club at SouthwindÃ?s No. 2 hole on Wednesday during the first round of the Southwest Kansas Pro-Am. Stonestreet is a Sublette native and shot a 71.
Brad Nading/Telegram Wes Stonestreet hits a fairway shot on The Golf Club at SouthwindÃ?s No. 2 hole on Wednesday during the first round of the Southwest Kansas Pro-Am. Stonestreet is a Sublette native and shot a 71.
They both have fathers who are golf club professionals and they have known each other for years.
More than two months ago, competing in the same Riverton (Wyo.) Open, the two were paired together.
According to both Connell and Tolan, they each played horribly.
On Wednesday, in the opening round of the Southwest Kansas Pro-Am, the two Coloradoans were in the same grouping and came in with identical scores of 4-under-par 71 on The Golf Club at Southwind’s normally demanding layout.
Their rounds left them three shots back of Shawn Stefani’s 64 at Buffalo Dunes, but historically Southwind has played anywhere from one to three shots higher than the Dunes.
Both Connell and Tolan were happy but subdued with their first round efforts on the opening day of the Pro-Am because both of them have not had much success here recently with each tying for 29th a year ago with 54-hole totals of 218, 4-over-par.
“It wasn’t too windy today and that makes all the difference in the world,” Connell said of Southwind. “I love the courses here and the greens were perfect today and I got the ball rolling real good. I just putted real well.”
Connell blistered the front nine at Southwind with a 4-under-par 31, with birdies coming at the par 5s third and fifth holes, the par 3s sixth and ninth, and the par 4 eighth. His lone bogey came on the opening hole, a 468-yard, par 4 that played into an uncommon north wind.
“Everything felt good, I hit a lot of good wedges close and that makes it easier,” Connell said. “When you’re playing good, you expect to be there at the end.”
Connell made one miraculous par save on the 17th hole, a 452-yard, par 4 that played into the north wind. His drive sailed far right into the deep and thick native grasses. When he found the ball, he couldn’t advance it forward so he hit it backward to the nearby 15th fairway. A 5-iron from 200 yards away ended on the front fringe of the green and he knocked in a 40-foot putt for par.
“Just routine,” Connell laughed. “I stole one or two or three shots there. I was pretty darn lucky.”
His iron play was meticulous as he hit 14 of the 18 greens in regulation and came in with 30 putts.
Tolan, meanwhile, rode a hot putter to his 67, taking only 25 putts on the Southwind greens and hit just 12 greens in regulation.
“Without a doubt, it makes the game more fun when everyone is playing well,” Tolan said of being paired with Connell and Clay Devers of Shawnee, who had a 71. “You’re focused and seeing others play well, makes you able to relax and play well, too.”
Tolan had birdies at the third, seventh and ninth holes on the front nine and he added birdies at the 600-yard, par-5, 10th, and the par-4, 14th. At the 10th, he hit a gap wedge to eight feet and on No. 14 nailed a lob wedge to six feet and made both putts. His lone bogey came at the par-3, 16th where he three-putted from 30 feet.
Playing with Connell made the round more comfortable for Tolan, who said he had struggled with his game earlier this summer but has been playing better lately.
“I missed the Monday qualifier (Nationwide Wichita Open) by one shot so I know I’m playing well,” Tolan said. “I’ve enjoyed coming here, you’re playing two top-notch courses. I see Andy a lot and it’s always a bonus to play with him.”
In addition to Connell and Tolan, Blake Trimble of Houston and Tom Gempel, from Parker, Colo., shared low honors at Southwind with 67s. After the opening round, the 40th score was at 71.
Upon completion of today’s second round, the pro field of 105 players will be cut to the low 40 and ties for Friday and Saturday’s final rounds. They will be paired with amateur teams comprised of four players.
The lowest scores of the pro field after 36 holes will play at Buffalo Dunes on Friday and at Southwind on Saturday.
See results in Scoreboard, Page B2.
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