By Peter Conroy, amateurgolf.com

Lightning-fast, undulated greens took their toll on players at the 17th annual Stocker Cup Invitational Golf Tournament, held at The Preserve Golf Club in Carmel, leading to a complete lack of red number to be found on the first-day leaderboard.

Even-par 72 was enough to lead the pack, which was the number turned in by Virginia’s Pat Tallent, who is coming off an impressive summer that saw him win the Virginia State Championship, lead his squad to a third place finish at the USGA State Team Championship, and make it to the second round of match play at the U.S. Mid-Amateur.

Still, he wasn’t about to tempt the golf gods, especially since Friday will be only his second time playing the course.

“I got lucky today I guess, on some of the holes the greens were very severe,” said Tallent, who is a member of Congressional Golf Club. “But I’m used to playing fast greens, I play Merion, Pine Valley, courses like that with a lot of undulation, it doesn’t seem to bother me too much. But that’s just today, tomorrow I could shoot 85.”

The greens were rolling around 11.5 according to Head Pro John Pietro, but Tallent guessed they were around a 13 after his round.

“It becomes very taxing if you miss your first putt then have to hit a six-footer,” said Tallent. “I made a couple of those for par, a couple for birdie from eight or ten feet where it hit the edges of the hole and went in, another half inch or quarter inch off and I’d have missed those putts.”

Tallent finished with three birdies, while avoiding the double and triple bogeys that doomed many golfers after the first day.

There are still 13 golfers within three strokes of the lead, and with rain in the forecast for Friday, there could be a great deal of shuffling of positions.

For complete A-Flight results, click here.

In the Stocker Cup team competition, which randomly pairs one A-player and one B-player in a 54-hole best-ball format, Dan Sullivan and Denny Crow led the pack at 6-under-par. They led the following teams by a stroke: Jason Pridmore and Erik Stocker (son of the tournament’s namesake), Mike Rowley and Paul O’Driscoll, and Todd Barsotti and Rich Parejo,

For complete team results, click here.

amateurgolf.com will have daily tournament updates, as well as a wrap-up video posted on Monday, so be sure to check back with us.

ABOUT THE STOCKER CUP:
The Stocker Cup, played in memory of Peter Stocker, is held each October at The Preserve Golf Club in Carmel. The field is comprised of 52 world-class mid-amateur invitees, who meet stringent eligibility requirements, and pay a minimal fee for their participation. Offering both NCGA and national Golfweek and amateurgolf.com Bridgestone Player Rankings points, the Stocker Cup also holds a one-day qualifying tournament for regional players who were not among the original invites. On September 28, eighteen competitors with a handicap index of 2.4 or lower vied for the final two A-list spots in the main tournament. (Brian Swenson and Harold Chuhlantseff both qualified at 76 at Stevinson Ranch.)

Those final A-list golfers are complimented by a matching number of qualified B-list competitors, with invitations extended to friends, relatives and associates of the late Peter Stocker, as well as to various sponsors and other supporters of the event. Every A-player is teamed with a B-player in a handicapped best-ball competition held simultaneously with the individual stroke-championship.

Results will be posted on this website daily, and emailed to major golf media outlets. Please use the contact information below to add your name to the media list.

MEDIA CONTACT INFORMATION:
Peter Conroy
amateurgolf.com
6965 El Camino Real
Suite 105-631
Carlsbad, CA 92009
760-271-7145 mobile
email: pconroy@amateurgolf.com

Media Notes:
1.) www.amateurgolf.com provides information on amateur tournaments around the U.S., runs an 18-event tournament series, and provides web and media services for events such as The Stocker Cup, The Carlton Woods Invitational, The Harvey Pennick Invitational, and The St. Augustine Amateur. The website is supported by membership fees and advertising -- the annual fee of $45/year will be waived for members of the golf media upon receipt of an email or phone request.

2.) A complete list of A-player biographies, as well as tournament history, background, and information on the late Peter Stocker can be viewed at- http://www.stockercup.com/contestants