SPARKS - For the most part, things went as expected on the first day of the Northern Nevada 4A Zone Golf Championship on the Lakes Course at Red Hawk Monday afternoon.
Tournament favorite Spanish Springs had four golfers in the 70s, including first-day medalist Ren Wilson, who shot a 1-under-par 71, to lead the Cougars to a team total of 378.
Carson, thanks to a 2-over-par 74 by Kevin Goles, recorded a 408 as did Galena. South Tahoe, led by Eric Cianci's 76, is fourth at 417, followed by Bishop Manogue at 423, Reno at 431 and Fallon at 437.
Action begins today at noon. The top two teams and the top five individuals not on advancing teams qualify for next week's state tournament at Sommersett Country Club in Reno.
The two biggest news items to come out of the first day involved Galena and Wooster, however.
The Galena Grizzlies should have shot a 395, but Trent Hayes, who shot a 2-over-par 74, was disqualified for the first day because he used a rangefinder which isn't allowed in zone play. The DQ will cost Hayes a chance to make state as an individual if the Grizzlies don't make it as a team.
The other big news was Bobby McCracken, who is one of the top players in the Sierra League. He soared to an uncharacteristic 85. He may have to shoot in the high 60s to have a chance at advancing as an individual.
Wilson leads teammate Zach Beebe (72) by one shot, Goles (74) by three and Cianci, and Robert Perea (76s) by five shots.
Carson is sitting in a pretty good position, according to coach Rod Butler.
"That (score) is fine," Butler said. "It was tough out there. I don't care one way or another about Spanish Springs. They are on their home course and they have good players, and they are going to shoot a good score. I figured the only way for us to be ahead of them is if they had a meltdown.
"Kevin played well, and Jon Singer (84) and Sam Staub (85) did what I expected."
Butler said it is critical for Zack Rispin, who had a first-day 83, and Isaac Holt, who had an opening 82, to shave two to four strokes off their scores if Carson is going to finish in second place and qualify for next week's state tournament.
Goles, Rispin and Holt all got off to awful starts, but Goles was the only one to get his game back together by the end of the round. Goles' 74 puts him alone in third place.
Goles, who carded four birdies and three double-bogeys, started by missing a 2-foot birdie putt on No. 1.
He doubled Nos. 3, 4 and 6, and all because of bad 4-iron shots. He found himself 6-over-par after six holes.
"Everybody (in his group) was struggling," Goles said. 'I wasn't too disappointed. I didn't get too down. I kept my head up. I've had slow starts before, and I knew I would be able to come back."
After the double-bogey 7 on No. 6, Goles turned things around in a big way. He played the final 12 holes in 4-under-par with birdies on Nos. 9, 13, 16 and 18.
On No. 9 a 417-yard par-4, Goles threw up a sand wedge to within 4 feet and sank the putt. On the par-4 300-yard 13th, he opted to hit a 5-iron off the tee instead of trying to drive the green. It was a smart choice. He landed a lob wedge 15 feet from the hole and made the putt.
On the 500-yard par-5 16th, Goles reached the green in two with a driver and 6-iron. He lagged up to 3 feet and made the putt. On No. 18, Goles landed a sand wedge to 10 feet and drained his birdie attempt.
Goles said he will need an under-par round today to overtake the two Spanish Springs stars, Wilson and Beebe.
"It might take something in the 60s," Goles said. "I have to play solid."
Rispin opened with a two-putt par on No. 1, but found himself 3-over par quickly after a double-bogey 7 on No. 2, a 538-yard par-5. Rispin chunked his approach shot to the green and then three-putted.
Rispin put himself in god position when he played a long iron off the tee on No. 3, a 399-yard par-4 with water al lthe way down the right side of the fairway and guarding the green, too. He flew the green with his second shot and then pushed his par putt right.
Rispin rebounded nicely with a birdie on No. 6, a 505-yard par-5. A driver and 7-iron left him just short of the green. He chipped to 7 feet and made his first of three birdies.
Rispin, who finished with a 43 on the front nine, tried to drive the 300-yard 13th. His shot landed in the brush, but he rebounded with a magnificent chip just an inch from the hole and tapped in. He followed with a birdie on No. 16, reaching the 500-yard par-5 with a driver and 9-iron. His 9-iron actually sailed over the green, but he made another nice chip and sank a 5-footer for birdie.
Rispin shot a respectable 4-over 40 on the back side.
"This had a chance to be a really good round," Rispin said. "There were a lot of shots that I just missed. I chunked four wedge shots from inside 110 yards and that forced me into tough up and down situations. I thought I struck the ball well."
Holt did record four pars on the front side, but it was a double-bogey 7 on No. 2, a three-putt bogey on No. 3 and a three-putt bogey on the par-3 fourth that put him in a hole right away. He finished with a 6-over-par 42 on the front.
Holt managed to shave a couple of strokes off on the back side thanks to a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 10 and a 20-foot putt for birdie on the par-3 17th. His back nine would have been much better had he not triple-bogeyed No. 14.
"On the front nine I had problems off the tee which I didn't figure out until the seventh hole," Holt said. "My grip was way too strong."
Singer recorded one birdie, that coming on the par-3 17th.