Grove up by 1 stroke

After reviewing last year’s opening round of the Reines Jewelers Charlottesville City Golf Championship, Meadowcreek course officials decided to toughen things up a bit for this year’s tournament. Mission accomplished.

Only four players out of the 120-man field managed to crack par on the city’s municipal 6,051-yard layout in Friday’s first round. That’s quite a contrast from the 2007 event when eventual champion, Weston Eklund, fired an opening round, 8-under 62, and runner-up Phillip Mahone was close behind with a 64.

The rough is up, the tees are stretched as far back as the par-70 course will allow, and the pins are in some tricky places.

“The course is a lot harder than it normally is the first day,” said Jeff Toms, who is one stroke off the pace with a 2-under 68. “Usually, it’s set up like this for Sunday.”

Sunday came early. In order to give Meadowcreek more bite, the tees will remain back for all three rounds and the pins are guaranteed to get trickier as the weekend progresses.

That’s just fine with Ty Grove, who shot a 3-under 67 late Friday evening to claim the first round lead. Grove, a Crozet resident who plays out of Old Trail, holds a one-stroke lead over Birdwood’s Toms and Jerry Burton of Spring Creek. Farmington’s Mahone is two back at 69, and Meadowcreek’s Bill Hamilton is within striking distance at 1-over 71.

All five of the golfers are gunning for their first-ever city championship in the 21st annual event. Defending champ Eklund is competing elsewhere this weekend.

Grove, a sales representative for the Jack Nicklaus golf company, hit 17 greens in regulation in a round that included five birdies (four on the front), and two bogeys. Known for his go-for-broke style of play, Grove didn’t hold back in his opening round.

He reached the par-5, No. 3 hole in two and missed a 20-foot eagle putt, but tapped in for birdie. Then, he drove the short, par-4, fifth hole, missing a 12-foot eagle try. He also birdied the par-5, first, and the par-4 ninth hole for a 33 on the front, which included a bogey.

On the back, he birdied the short, par-3 13th and suffered a bogey on the par-4 11th.

“Those Nicklaus drivers are good,” Grove winked, getting in a shameless plug for his company. He certainly could have been a poster boy for the club on Friday.

Burton, a former pro from Williamsburg, is still trying to learn Meadowcreek’s do’s and don’ts in only his second city tournament. He, too, displayed amazing accuracy off the tee, hitting 16 fairways, and still managed to birdie one hole from the rough, the par-4 14th.

He also birdied the fifth, rolling in a 20-foot putt, and the 16th from four feet. His only bad swing of the day came on the short, dogleg right 17th hole, when he chunked his second shot into the front bunker for a bogey.

“I was standing on the 17th tee at 3-under, so I wish I could get that one back,” Burton said later. “There were some nasty Sunday pins out there on the first day, but that’s fine. I’d rather have the course play tough, around even-par or only a couple under, because I don’t make that many birdies.”

Toms overcame a double-bogey on the par-5, third with back-to-back birdies on 6 and 7 to make the turn at even-par, then got it to 4-under on the back before suffering another double on the par-3, 18th.

“I gave it away on the 18th,” said Toms. “Not to sound cocky, but 68 was the highest I could have shot today.”

He guessed wrong on 18’s yardage, drove his tee shot over the green and nearly into the parking lot. He chipped to the far side of the green on his second shot and three putted.

However, Toms’ luck wasn’t all bad. He hit provisionals on both the par-5, 12th and the par-4, 17th, only to find his ball in the woods on both, punched out and made birdies.

“I got lucky with those two,” he said. “I walked out with birdies when they could have been doubles.”

Mahone put in a solid round as well, missing only two fairways, and converted two birdies at holes one and seven. He hit every green in regulation, but regretted that he couldn’t capitalize on the accuracy with more birdies.

“I stayed patient,” Mahone said. “I would have liked to have gone a little lower, but I’ll take it.”

With a reputation as a superb putter and short-game player, Mahone believes that is the key for him possibly breaking through into the winner’s circle. He remained haunted by last year’s loss in a playoff after owning a five-shot lead five holes into the final round.

“If I had shot then what I shot today, I would have won by three shots,” Mahone said. “If I could trade rounds, I’d do it in a heartbeat.”

Most of the leaders believe the winner on Sunday will finish somewhere between five and eight strokes under par, which could make for some real drama on the Meadowcreek course.

Grove said his biggest challenge is to not beat himself.

“The key for me is to not get too greedy,” he said. “In years past I’ve gotten too aggressive. I’m known for making a lot of birdies and then making a lot of big numbers on top of that. If I can avoid the numbers, I’m going to be there on Sunday.”