Decker, Longbella share top spot at Wisconsin Am
Thomas Longbella (Minnesota Athletics photo)
WEST ALLIS, Wis. (July 23, 2018) – Two players are tied for the lead after one round of the Wisconsin State Amateur. Rounds of 6-under 66 rocketed Johnny Decker of Middleton and Thomas Longbella of Chippewa Falls to the top of the leaderboard at Minocqua Country Club.
Of the two, Decker’s scorecard was certainly more colorful. He opened with birdies at Nos. 1 and 3, added a bogey at No. 5, then went birdie-eagle to close the front nine. On the back nine, he mixed four birdies with two bogeys. Decker played for the University of Wisconsin from 2014-17.
Longbella, meanwhile, threw in just one bogey with seven birdies. He is a former WSGA Junior Boys champion who just completed his sophomore season at the University of Minnesota.
Behind the leaders, Ryan Isaacson of Eau Claire and Samuel Anderson of Stoughton are tied for third at 5 under. The leaderboard remains cramped from there – the top 20 players all posted a round in the red on Monday.
Defending champion Matt Tolan struggled in the opening round, posting a 5-over 77. Tolan had two double bogeys on his card and ended his day with a bogey at No. 18.
ABOUT THE Wisconsin State Amateur
This event has been conducted annually since 1901.
The format, originally match play, was changed to a
72-hole stroke-play event in 1971. The State
Amateur, contested over four consecutive days, is
annually conducted on one of Wisconsin’s finest
courses and continues to be recognized as the
premier amateur tournament held in Wisconsin. A
three-man team competition, the Yule Cup, where
players representing the same club compete for the
Cup, is also held. To be eligible, players must have a
WSGA Handicap Index of 9.4 or less.
View Complete Tournament Information