BROOKLINE, Mass. — South Alabama junior Tyler Klava opened stroke play at the 2013 U.S. Amateur Championship with a 3-under-par 67 on Monday, finishing the first round tied for third and two shots behind the leaders.
Klava posted his score at Charles River Country Club, one of two courses used for the 36-hole stroke-play qualifying portion of the championship. He was scheduled to play his second round Tuesday on the longer of the two layouts, The Country Club in Brookline, with a 2:20 p.m. tee time off the first hole.
Chasing a Match-Play Berth
The field of 315 players is competing for 64 spots in the match-play bracket, which begins Wednesday. All match-play rounds will be contested at The Country Club.
The championship is Klava’s second consecutive U.S. Amateur appearance. In 2012, by his own account, a poor opening round took him out of contention, and he did not advance to match play. His start this year left him well inside the projected cut line with one round of qualifying remaining.
Best Among Alabama Golfers
Klava’s 67 was the lowest first-round score among golfers in the field with ties to the state of Alabama. Bobby Wyatt of the University of Alabama opened with a 1-over-par round, while Robby Shelton IV, Cory Whitsett and Andrew Lawson each shot 2-over.
What’s Next
After Tuesday’s second round at The Country Club, the top 64 players will be seeded into the single-elimination match-play bracket. Matches will begin Wednesday and continue through the remainder of the week at The Country Club, one of the oldest clubs in American golf.
Klava competes for the South Alabama men’s golf team, a member of the Sun Belt Conference.
