Stroke-play medalist David Brown, who is making his championship debut, rallied for a 3 and 2 victory over Scott Smith, and was joined by defending champion Dave Ryan and 2016 runner-up Matt Sughrue as first-day winners Monday at the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship at the Minikahda Club.
Brown fell 2 down through nine holes after Smith made a birdie putt from about 50 feet, and despite not carding a birdie the entire round, Brown won five of the next seven holes to secure a 3-and-2 victory. Ryan, seeded fifth beat No. 60 seed Michael Rowley 1 up, after Rowley missed a 10-foot birdie putt on No. 18 that would have sent the match to extra holes.
Former Senior Amateur champions Paul Simson (2010 and 2012), Doug Hanzel (2013) and Chip Lutz (2015) also advanced.
• Brent Snyder of Troy Burne shot an opening round 4-under-par 68, good for a three-stroke lead over four other club professionals at the Minnesota PGA Professional Championship at The Pines at Grand View Lodge. Don Berry of Edinburgh USA, John Cleary of the University of Minnesota, Scott Cole of RTG Golf and Eric Rolland of Augsburg College carded 71s.
Etc.
• St. Scholastica was the preseason No. 1 in the UMAC women's soccer coaches' poll with 58 points, three more than Minnesota-Morris.
