Schlottman, Reichert reach Porter Cup lead in different ways

LEWISTON, N.Y. (July 18, 2018) – A pair of SEC golfers top the Porter Cup leaderboard after the first round at Niagara Falls Country Club. Ben Schlottman, who just completed his senior season at Auburn, and Ben Reichert, a rising junior at Ole Miss, opened with rounds of 5-under 65 on Wednesday.

Reichert’s card was just a bit more colorful. The East Amherst, N.Y., native opened with a birdie, but the real highlight came three holes later. He holed out at the 196-yard par-3 fourth using a 6-iron. It was his first hole-in-one in tournament play.

Reichert added four more birdies and two bogeys to reach 5 under for the day. Schlottman, meanwhile, had only birdies. There wasn’t a blemish on his card on Wednesday.

Australian Blake Windred and Cole Hughes, a rising sophomore at Youngstown State, tied for third at 3-under 67. A day after winning his U.S. Amateur qualifier at Ohio State’s Scarlet Course in Columbus, Ohio, Buckeye player Daniel Wetterich posted a 2-under 68 to land in a five-man tie for fifth.

Will Thomson, Michael Mattiace, Charlie Dann and Austin Hitt are also on that number.

Thomas Walsh is among the six players who are another shot back in a tie for 10th. Walsh finished fourth last week at the Players Amateur in Bluffton, S.C.

Defending champion Brandon Wu opened with 7-over 77 and is near the bottom of the leaderboard in a tie for 72nd. Wu’s card was dotted with too many bogeys, as well as a triple-bogey at the par-4 10th.