Five way tie on the leader board after the first round in the Bogota Open of the Nationwide Tour
The first round of the Nationwide Tour Pacific Rubiales Bogota Open came to a close yesterday, but it was the weather which disrupted play again. There was a five way tie at top of the leader board with all having a first round score of five-under par, 66.
Darron Stiles who was the clubhouse leader after finishing just 13 holes on the first day was joined by Mathew Giles, Garth Mulroy, J.J. Killeen and the local lad David Vanegas.
The second day of play started late, due to a storm and overcast conditions. Many players failed to complete their first round even on the second day, as the weather continued to halt play in the evening.
Organizers and the tournament committee really have a tough task ahead of them for the next two days in which a few players have to complete three rounds and the rest two rounds. The weather conditions will surely be a challenging factor for all the players
and the grounds men, as the course was very damp on the first day.
Nationwide Tournament Director Jim Duncan said, "The added rains today have been very much troubling. We again have changed the tee times and there will be an early morning start today on Saturday for the players who have not finished their first rounds
so that 72 holes are played.”
Stiles and the local hero Vanegas were the only players among the top five leaders who took advantage of the soft greens and the moist conditions. They both had bogey-free first rounds with a score of five-under par 66. Their scorecard showed five birdies
and not a single blemish on the card. Vanegas, plays on this course and knows about the weather and the greens, as he played flawless golf for the first round and was tied on the leader board.
Four players were tied for the sixth spot with a score of four-under par, 67. South African Tyrone Van Aswegen, Australian Ewan Porter, Colombian Camilo Benedetti and American Mark Anderson all had the same scores, as they trail by a mere margin of just
one shot over the leaders.
Aswegen, from South Africa, was the only player among the six who had a bogey-free round, as he had four birdies on his card and was quite satisfied with the way he played. The youngster has a deficit of just one stroke over the leaders and is hoping to
improve his position further on the leader board if weather does not become a hurdle in the next three rounds.
There were a lot of under-par scores for the first round but a few had to be content due to the conditions. Some fireworks are expected in the next three rounds by the top players to curb the challenge of the weather and lead the championship.
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