SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Ryan Alford of Shreveport, Louisiana, shot a 6-under 65 to take a one-shot lead over Marcus Byrd of Nashville, Tennessee, in the first round of APGA Tour Scottsdale on the TPC Champions Course Monday. Alford delivered five birdies and an eagle with a 30-footer on the ninth hole to fashion the best score of the day in perfect conditions at the PGA TOUR-owned, 7,115-yard par 71 layout. Byrd shot a 32 on the back nine that included an eagle on the dogleg par 4 15th hole. He drove the green with a 2-iron that traveled an estimated 290 yards and dropped a 35-footer for the unusual 2 but then made bogey on No. 18 to drop out of a tie for the lead. “I hit everything well and putted the way I wanted to,” said Alford, who played college golf at Louisiana Tech and was a teammate of PGA TOUR player Sam Burns at Calvary Baptist High School in Shreveport. “Hopefully, I’ll be ready and tomorrow will be another day at the office” It will be a crowded leaderboard for the final 18 holes Tuesday. Nyasha Mauchaza of Port St. Lucie, Florida, is another stroke back at 4 under, Tommy Schaff of Ridgeland, South Carolina, and Trey Valentine of Melbourne, Florida are both at 3 under and a group of four players at 2 under is led by APGA Tour 2020 Lexus Cup Player of the Year Tim O’Neal of Savannah, Georgia. APGA Tour Scottsdale is the sixth tournament of the year for the 13-event circuit whose mission is to bring greater diversity to the sport of golf. The players are competing for a $25,000 purse with all activities conducted under social-distancing and health/safety guidelines in conjunction with regional authorities. APGA Tour standout Willie Mack shot 1-under 70 as he prepares for his sponsor exemption opportunity into the Korn Ferry Tour’s Huntsville Championship April 29-May 2 in Huntsville, Alabama. The field also includes Kamaiu Johnson, who shot an even-par 71, after winning APGA Tour Las Vegas last week at the TPC course there. Kirk Triplett, the longtime PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions professional, spoke to the players after the round and provided words of encouragement centered on understanding the challenge that lies ahead in trying to make the top levels of professional golf. “Finding consistency is the key. What you’re doing is like competing in a marathon,” offered the Scottsdale resident who displayed a BLACK LIVES MATTER sticker on his golf bag at the Senior PLAYERS Championship in Akron, Ohio, last year. Triplett has two adopted children who are minorities and told the media that he wanted to start a conversation. The APGA Tour 2021 season reaches its midpoint May 23-25 when APGA Tour Louisville is contested at famed Valhalla Country Club, which is owned and operated by PGA of America.
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