LAUREL — Nathan Bailey, Carson Hackmann and Sean Benson are in a three-way tie atop the leaderboard after the first round of the Montana Men's State Amateur Championships Thursday at Laurel Golf Club.
Bailey, Hackmann and Benson each shot 3-under-par 69s Thursday to pace the field. Joey Lovell, Boston Murdoch and Riley Kaercher are each just a stroke back after shooting first-round 70s.
Bailey and Hackmann are both playing on their home course. Bailey carded 13 pars to go with birdies on the second, fourth, seventh and 16th holes and a bogey on the par-4 15th. Hackmann, meanwhile, finished with 12 pars, birdies on Holes 4, 6, 10, 12 and 17 and bogeys on Nos. 9 and 15.
Benson had four birdies on the front nine on the second, fourth, seventh and eighth holes. He added a birdie on the par-5 18th but double-bogeyed the par-3 13th.
Brady Powell, Liam Clancy, Palmer Coleman and Gavin Klein each shot 72s Thursday to round out the top 10. Full results can be viewed here.
The second round gets started at 7:30 a.m. Friday, and the third and final round is Saturday.
