Published: July 23, 2008 09:51 pm            

PORTER CUP: Georgia’s Mitchell tops leaderboard after rainy day

LEWISTON — Brian Harman wasn’t able to make it this year, but the University of Georgia still has a representative at the top of the 50th Porter Cup leaderboard. Adam Mitchell, Harman’s collegiate teammate and a second-team All-American who recently finished his junior year with the Bulldogs, shot 8-under-par 62 Wednesday at Niagara Falls Country Club to lead after a rain-delayed first round.

Play concluded shortly before dark after a 3 1/2 hour delay that started just before 12:20 p.m. Windy conditions greeted players returning to the course, but died down by the time Mitchell closed his back nine with a birdie on No. 18 for a 29. A 7-iron left Mitchell just two feet from the front-right pin location.

“I caught it a little fat, but it worked out just fine,” Mitchell said.

After the delay, Mitchell birdied the 552-yard, par-5 fifth hole, but then bogeyed the sixth.

“I don’t think I was quite loose yet after the delay,” he said.

That stiffness wouldn’t shot the rest of the round, however, as he shot 7-under over the final 13 holes.

Harman, the record-setting 2007 winner, withdrew last week because of injury. Mitchell would love to follow in his championship footsteps, but said it was far too early to come to that conclusion.

“It’s just the first round,” he said. “I can’t get ahead of myself.”

UAB senior Zack Sucher was in second after shooting 65. Venezuelan native Jhonattan Vegas was alone in third at 66, while three players — Justin Roach, Billy Horschel and James Gill — were tied for fourth place at 3-under 67.

“What made the difference was putting,” said Vegas, a University of Texas graduate. “I made 27 putts, which for me I think is good.”

There were 23 scores under par on a day when most players agreed the soft greens allowed long irons to stick.

“The course isn’t playing that easy, but there’s opportunities for everybody to make birdies. You just have to stay patient and make some putts,” Vegas said.

Kenmore’s Peter Creighton was 1-under through 16, but struggled on the closing two holes, coming in double bogey, bogey for a 72.

“Those last two holes are playing tough,” Creighton said. “I’m a little disappointed, but there’s a lot of golf left and I didn’t play myself out of it.”

Creighton had a nice par save from the sand on the par-3 16th, and also rebounded to make par after putting his drive into a tree on the par 4-13th, his first hole after the lengthy delay.

“I made a few putts to keep me in it,” he said.

NOTES: Fred Silver of Lewiston, a 27-time NFCC champion, rebounded from a 40 on the front nine by shooting 2-under 33 on the back, good for a 3-over 73. Jamestown’s Chris Stoddard also shot 73. Other locals in the field included: East Amherst’s Raman Luthra (74), Silver Creek’s Jamie Miller (75), Lackawanna’s Liam Friedman (76), and West Seneca’s Jeff Wolniewicz (78). ... Lucas Lee, a member of UCLA’s NCAA championship team, led at the turn after shooting 31, but closed with a 37 on the back nine that included a one-stroke penalty after he dropped his marker, which struck his ball and caused it to move.

Contact editor Jay Skurski at 693-1000, ext. 117.

        

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