Ben Warian posted a 5-under 65 from the second group on the course, and the score held all the way through the first round to give him a one-shot lead at the 2024 Sunnehanna Amateur at Sunnehanna Country Club in Johnstown, Pa.
Warian recorded six birdies and one bogey, with birdies coming into the clubhouse on holes No. 16, 17, and 18.
"As much as you can out here," Warian told Back of the Range about playing aggressively. "With these greens, you are always going to have to play a little defensive at times during the round, but yeah, that's as good as you can have it out here for sure."
Warian is ranked No. 29 in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com U.S. Rankings.
Cameron Huss is in solo second place at 4-under, while Jase Summy, Blades Brown, Ethan Evans, Tyson Shelley, and Jackson Herrington are all T3 at 3-under. Eight golfers are T8 at 2-under and 35 golfers shot under-par rounds in the opening round.
Heading into tomorrow with a late tee time, Warian knows he might not be able to be as aggressive into greens and firing at pins.
"As cliche as it is, just staying below the hole," Warian told Back of the Range about his strategy. "Out here today, I got away with a couple of overly aggressive approach shots and overly aggressive putts and left myself with a couple of knee knockers.
"Luckily, the greens this morning were so good I could get away with it," Warian added.
The Sunnehanna Amateur was inaugurated in July of 1954 -- it was the first country club-sponsored 72-hole stroke play competition for amateurs in the United States. The tournament is played on a classic A.W. Tillinghast design.
Only one other amateur tournament in the United States can list the likes of Chick Evans, Arnold Palmer, Julius Boros, Art Wall, Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, and Rickie Fowler as contestants: the United States Amateur. Its medal-play format has been emulated by countless amateur tournaments across the country.