Nelson, Hanson come south, take opening Trans-Miss Four-Ball lead

The seasons might be transitioning where Casey Nelson and Kane Hanson are from, but this week in Texas, the mercury is still hitting the 90s. Nelson and Hanson got hot on Monday, too. They combined for an opening 7-under 64 at the Trans-Miss Four-Ball at Spanish Oaks Golf Club in Bee Cave, Texas.

The birdies were somewhat sparse, but the mistakes were even fewer. Nelson and Hanson, who hail from Minneapolis and Fargo, N.D., respectively, didn’t have to write down a single bogey on Monday, which speaks to an effective four-ball strategy.

Instead, five birdies went down on the card as well as an eagle, which Nelson carded at the par-5 11th.

That left them just one shot ahead of Bryan Hoops and Adam Walicki, a tough pair of players from Arizona. Walicki was a quarterfinalist at the Arizona Amateur earlier this year and won the San Diego City Amateur in 2018. He and his partner counted six birdies – only doubling up on the par-5 17th hole.

Creighton Honeck, a Bee Cave native who was one half of last year’s winning Mid-Amateur team, returned this year with a different partner, Josh Swanson of Austin, Texas. Those two combined to go 5 under.

In the senior division, Lawrence Field of Tulsa, Okla., and Steven Hudson of Vestavia Hills, Ala., combined for an 8-under 63 that gave them a four-shot lead entering the second round.

It took a 6-under 65 to lead the super senior division. Rich Tolly of Laguna Nigel, Calif., and Dave Sheff of Dana Point, Calif., logged that round, which gave them just a one-shot cushion.