There’s a lot to talk about when it comes to day one of 2017’s BSF, as this NT packs two rounds into the first day. There was a lot of golf, a lot of rain, and a lot of frustration. While June typically brings sunny skies to the rest of the country, Oregon is known for its temperamental weather. We experienced absolute downpours with gusty winds only to be greeted with blue skies twenty minutes later. All throughout the day, spectators could be heard saying “Welcome to Oregon.”

Confidence Prevailed During Round 1

At 9:00 am the air horn sounded with the men’s open division excited to get the show started. Media coverage was spotted filming a stellar card, featuring Philo Brathwaite, Pacific NW players Kyle Crabtree and Nate Doss, as well as Dude ambassador and Oregon local Dustin Keegan. All four players matched each other shot for shot, even when it came to the more challenging and tightly wooded holes.

But trouble started to brew just after hole 5, as those under the thick tree cover could hear the rain beating down around them. This weather seemed to take players by surprise, as the live scoring showed a bit of a momentum shift across all cards. However, once everyone’s umbrellas were out and mindsets were changed, the pros seemed to move into “rain mode” and finished the round strong.

The leaders going into round 2 included both Paul McBeth and Ricky Wysocki, who shot the hot score of -9 and were closely followed by Anthony Barela, Nate Doss, and Eagle McMahon who were each at 8 down.

Did A Little Rain Ruin The Party?

It seemed that everyone couldn’t wait to eat lunch in their car and warm up for a bit after round one’s offerings. As the second round began, the gallery increased sizably, as did the wind gusts. By the time the men’s lead card was halfway through the Milo East course, rain was pelting the players and winds blew strong enough to change the trajectory of their discs in mid-flight.

The scores reflected this shift, as many players carded at least three or four strokes more than they did during the morning’s round. Far fewer birdies were seen during the afternoon, and no eagles were to be had unlike what spectators saw previously in the day – Wysocki, McMahon, and Ulibarri had all carded threes on hole 6 West’s par-5.

Let’s Hope We Make It All Three Days

Now here’s the concern on many people’s minds: we’ve seen far too many events this year become severely affected by weather, so much so that it has sparked a discussion about inclement weather policies moving forward.

Are we about to see a repeat of GBO? While it’s not the final day of the tournament, Saturday’s forecast calls for thunderstorms and a steady rain will make itself known through the rest of the weekend. How will the players perform on these long and grueling courses? Stay tuned to the live scoring and see what happens!

Written by Courtney Elder