So much for local knowledge being the key to conquering Hillcrest Golf Club.
The winds threw a curveball at most players on a tough opening day for scoring at the 56th Navajo Trail Open, and the greens were tricky as always. Yet a first-timer held sole possession of the lead after the first of three rounds.
Caston Roberts of Gilbert, Arizona, shot a 6-under-par 65 to open a one-stroke lead. He was one of seven players to finish under par.
“The wind was pretty strong at the start of the day, but it calmed down on the back for us,” Roberts said. “I played it conservative for most of the round and hit a lot of 2-irons off the tees. I putted really well all day, didn’t have a three-putt, so that was obviously really big. I’m from Arizona, so I don’t get to play many tracks like this, it just fits my game nicely.”
Roberts leads fellow Arizona professional Andrew Buckle by one shot heading into the early morning Saturday round.
Buckle birdied holes 2, 4, 6, 12, 15, 16 and 17 en route to an opening-round 5-under 66.
“I felt like I drove the ball well, putted well and hit solid wedges, so everything was good,” Buckle said with his 15-month-old son by his side. “I really got it going there on the back-nine and finished strong.”
Navajo Trail Open veteran Tom Kalinowski shot 4-under 32 on the back-nine and came in with 70. Kalinowski had eagle tries on 10 and 11, which sparked an impressive back side.
“The goal was really to just not shoot myself out of the tournament,” Kalinowski said. “This place is always in perfect shape, but the winds were a bit breezier and different than normal. It was kind of tricky out there.”
Though the longtime pro knows the lay of the land at Hillcrest better than many of the young guns in the field, he knows he can’t overthink things out there.
“The local knowledge is great to have, but it’s more important just knowing where you can’t be,” he said. “Sometimes even that can work against you, though, because you can get thinking timidly instead of attacking the flag. You really just have to keep it under the hole and take advantage of the chances when they present themselves.”
Albuquerque’s Antonio Ortega echoed the same sentiment about the value of staying below the hole with the greens as slick as they get at Hillcrest. Ortega shot 68 and sits alone in third place.
“There’s definitely a fear factor when you’re trying to navigate these greens,” Ortega said. “They’re just super slick in some spots. This course can be had if you just stay in the fairway and avoid the temptation of getting too aggressive. If you don’t play smart, man, it can jump up and bite you.”
Jere Pelletier of El Paso, Texas, fired a 2-under 69. He’s tied for third with Braden Baer and Jacob Loya. Pelletier was on the green in two on each of the three par-5 holes and had an eagle putt on the par-4 11th hole, too.
“On top of the winds changing, I felt like some of the tee boxes being pushed back a bit further and that made it kind of difficult,” Pelletier said. “I kind of expected to see a bit more red numbers on the scoreboard at this point, but that’s just a testament to how sneaky tough this place is.”
Defending champion Wil Collins shot 1-over 72. Conquistador Golf Club PGA professional Micah Rudosky of Cortez shot 72, Shea Sena of Dalton Ranch fired 74 and Durango’s Keenan Holt shot 75.
The professionals will tee off at 7:15 a.m. Saturday morning and close out the tournament teeing off in the afternoon again Sunday.
“It seems like the guys underestimate this place,” Hillcrest PGA professional and Fort Lewis College golf coach Guy Begay said. “It’s like that every year, and, judging by the reactions of the guys at the scoreboard, it looks like it’s happening again to a lot of them.”
jfries@durangoherald.com
Leaderboard
56th Navajo Trail Open
Friday at Hillcrest Golf Club
Durango
Yardage: 7,100; Par: 71
First-Round Leaderboard
Caston Roberts 65 -6
Andrew Buckle 66 -5
Antonio Ortega 68 -3
Jere Pelletier 69 -2
Braden Baer 69 -2
Jacob Loya 69 -2
Tom Kalinowski 70 -1
Josh Woodworth 71 E
Devin Miertschin 71 E
Calum Hill 71 E
