Wood, Franklin share lead at City Championship

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Globe/B.W.Shepherd Evan Wood tee's off on the third hole at Briar Brook Country Club in the city tourney on Saturday, May 5, 2012.

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May 5, 2012

Wood, Franklin share lead at City Championship

Anonymous The Joplin Globe The Joplin Globe Sat May 05, 2012, 11:19 PM CDT

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — After making bogey on two of the first three holes, Les Taylor ran off five birdies during the next six holes en route to a 3-under-par 69 Saturday at Briarbrook Golf Course to grab the seniors division lead in the Joplin Globe Men’s City Championship.

Meanwhile, Evan Wood began his title defense of the regular division the same way as last year when he was tied for the first-round lead. Wood and Andy Franklin matched 1-over-par 73s from the Blue tees to share the top spot.

The Joplin Golf Club, also the defending team champion, grabbed the team lead with a five-man total of 376, followed by Briarbrook at 384 and Twin Hills at 398.

Briarbrook, the defending seniors team champion, had three players among the top five and posted a 367 total, followed by Twin Hills with 386 and Joplin Golf Club with 393.

Today’s second round begins at 10 a.m. at Schifferdecker Municipal Golf Course. The final round is set for next Saturday at Twin Hills Golf and Country Club.

Taylor certainly didn’t get off to a good start with bogeys on the second and third holes.

“I missed a seven-footer on 1 (for birdie) that lipped out, then on 2 and 3 I played in the woods,” Taylor said. “I got upset at myself. ... I just concentrated better I guess.”

The concentration obviously paid dividends.

A seven-footer on the par-3 fourth hole began the birdie barrage, followed by a three-footer on 5, 12-footer on 6, 15-footer on 7 and 12-footer on 9 to make the turn at 3-under 33.

Another birdie on 12 dropped him to 4-under before he gave a shot back with a bogey on the long par-3 16th.

“I was doing OK on the back,” he said. “I should have made more birdies, but I was satisfied after the way I started off.”

Dave Tourtelot, like Taylor a Briarbrook member, also broke par with a 1-under 71. He shot 35 on the front nine with a bogey on the first hole and birdies on 2 and 6. He matched par-36 on the back nine with birdies on 11 and 17 and a double-bogey 6 on 14.

Keith Phillips from Briarbrook and Jim Weaver and Bob McKay, both from Twin Hills, were tied for third with 75.

Jim Lucas, the defending seniors champion, carded two 38s for a 76. He’s tied with Briarbrook teammates Tim Old, Dan Tourtelot and Terry Key and Daryl Deel of Twin Hills.

Wood, a Twin Hills member, posted nines of 36-37 with birdies on No. 7 and No. 13, both par-5s. He bogeyed the first hole, No. 15 and No. 16.

Franklin, playing for Joplin Golf Club, birdied the second and fourth holes but also had bogeys on 3, 5, 7 and 9 for a front-nine 38. A bogey on 11 put him at 3-over before he birdied No. 13 and No. 17.

Chris Mitchell of Briarbrook and Justin Nichols of Twin Hills were tied for third with 74s, and Tug Baker from Joplin Golf Club was fifth with 75.

Tied for sixth with 76s were Jared Allison of Twin Hills and Corey Clingan and Doug Harvey from Briarbrook.