Somers leads at CCNC Amateur

PINEHURST, N.C. (Dec. 17, 2013) -- John Somers of Elon University was the only player to break par and did so impressively in Round 1, shooting a 4-under 68 to take an early four-shot lead at the 2013 Country Club of North Carolina Amateur. Somers used late birdies on each nine to go low on a day when just two other players managed to shoot even par. He leads Patrick Cover (UNC Wilmington) and Patrick Barrett (UNC Chapel Hill) by four entering the second of three rounds on Wednesday. Michael McGowan, also of UNC Chapel Hill, East Carolina's Al Dickens IV, Andrew Ward of USC Aiken and Mitchell Thomas of Tennessee Tech all shot 1-over 73 and head into Round 2 hoping to make up ground. The 2nd annual 54-hole collegiate/amateur tournament, presented by the Tarheel Golf Foundation, is played solely on the championship Dogwood course. The Dogwood has hosted many CGA and USGA events, including six Southern Amateurs and a U.S. Amateur.