Tourtelot’s 69 leads qualifying

August 02, 2008 11:54 pm

— From staff reports
sports@joplinglobe.com
Dave Tourtelot’s 3-under-par 69 at Twin Hills Golf and Country Club highlighted first-round action Saturday as qualifying began for Joplin’s Horton Smith and Ky Laffoon cup teams.
Tourtelot and Tim Old, who shot 71, were the only players under par in the Ky Laffoon (players ages 50 and older) qualifier. Lou Rapalino and Jim Lucas matched par with 72s.
J.B. Brown and Mike Maier were tied at 73, followed by Frank Jacobs and Les Taylor with 74s, John Gardner with 75 and Jim Weaver, Chad Walker and Keith Phillips with 76s.
In the Horton Smith tournament, open to players 49 and younger, Brent Bailey and Taylor Griffith matched par-71 at Eagle Creek Golf Course to share the first-round lead.
They were three shots in front of Chad Lind, Dave Pawlus, David Clark, Paul Ashe and Tommy Clifford.
A logjam at 75 involved Andy Koehler, Bill Curry, Calvin Becker, Doug Harvey and Mark Riley.
The players switch courses for today’s final round, with tee times starting at 11 a.m. at Eagle Creek and noon at Twin Hills.
Players are battling for one of 16 spots on the cup teams that will play host to Springfield in their annual competition on Aug. 16-17 in Joplin.
Three spots on the Horton Smith team have been given to players who are exempt from qualifying — Ozark Amateur winner David Eddy, Briarbrook Invitational champion Shawn Platner and Joplin Globe City Championship winner Kyle Long.