Barker goes 5 under for early lead at Sunnehanna Amateur

Australian Lachlan Barker has the lead at the Sunnehanna Amateur after a first-round 5-under 65 at Sunnehanna Country Club in Johnstown, Pa. Barker, a rising junior at Iowa State, sprinkled seven birdies into his round to climb to the top.

Barker shined as a junior golfer in Australia, winning the South Australian Junior Championship and the Malaysian Amateur as a kid and coming in third at the Australian Junior Championship. He was a two-time team captain for the South Australian Junior squad. He has been second on the Iowa State team in scoring each of the past two seasons.

Barker is one of four Australians in the field. Jack Trent is also near the top after a 1-under 69 left him tied for eight.

Directly behind Barker, James Nicholas of Scarsdale, N.Y., had a 4-under 66 to find solo second. But for a closing bogey at the par-4 18th, Nicholas would have been even with Barker.

Nicholas is a rising senior on the Yale men’s golf team who briefly played football at the university. He is multi-talented as an athlete, and also was the sixth all-time leading scorer in New York high school hockey history.

Just last week, Nicholas and partner Chris Troy played their way to the final match at the Anderson Memorial, a prestigious four-ball event at Winged Foot.

A three-way tie for third includes Mason Overstreet, Spencer Soosman and Andy Spencer.

Defending champion Alex Smalley is tied for sixth at 2-under 68.