Rain interrupts opening round
By By Marty Stamper/EMG sports assistant
July 3, 2004
You just knew Friday's beautiful weather was too good to last… and it was.
Rain almost avoided the opening round of the Bill Davis Fourth of July Tournament at Northwood Country Club Friday afternoon. However, with nearly half the field still having three to five holes left, lightning and a steady downpour suspended play for 50 minutes.
The moisture didn't keep the afternoon contingent from dominating the day's low scores, however. Of the low 18 scores, 14 played in the day's late round.
Taking a one-stroke lead with a 7-under par 64 was the team of Doyle Bryan and Judge Little. The 2002 champions had birdies on Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 14, 15, and 16 to go with a bogey on No. 8.
Three teams finished one stroke behind the leaders heading into today's match play which finds Bryan and Little holding the No. 1 seed.
In the trio of 65s are 2000 champions Joel Nelson and Jay Bowen. They had an adventuresome round with birdies on Nos. 1, 4, 5, 9, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 18 to go with bogeys on Nos. 7, 11, and 13. They were the only morning round duo in the top 14.
Also at 65 are the teams of Billy McWilliams and Colton Tisdale and Eddie Brown and Chuck Gordon.
Tisdale, who was a co-champion with Joey Mabry in 2001, and McWilliams had birdies on Nos. 1, 6, 12, 14, 16, and 17 to finish 6-under.
Brown and Gordon qualified prior to Friday.
Three teams shot 66. That grouping includes the teams of Earl Aycock Jr. and Steve Stewart, Tony Polizzi and Robert Sanford, and Scott Morgan and Kelly Swain.
Morgan and Swain, also co-champions in 2001 when darkness halted play after nine playoff holes, had birdies on Nos. 1, 12, 15, 16, and 18.
Aycock and Stewart had birdies on Nos. 5, 10, 11, 12, and 18.
Polizzi and Sanford had birdies on Nos. 2, 5, 6, 12, 13, 16, and 17 to go with bogeys on Nos. 8 and 11.
Joe Rush Jr. and Bo Welch shot a 4-under 67 with birdies on Nos. 1, 5, 7, 16, and 17 to go with a bogey on No. 4.
Four teams were tied at 68 Jon Johnson and Reid Kennedy, David Ray and Alex Weddington, David Sinclair and Wayne Whitley, and Winston Powell and John Rea.
The teams of Alan Hart and Paul Entrekin and Bo Blackledge and Derrick Boler both shot 69.
Four teams tied at 70 with two to make the championship flight. Pairings were unavailable.
