Peter Uihlein hopes to buck this trend and he is well on his way after a solid performance today that resulted in a +1 score of 72.
It could have gone the other way, in fact he was on that road to disaster with a double bogey on the first hole and a bogey on the fourth.
“At 3-over through 4, if you’d told me I’d shoot 72 I’d take it – regardless of how I got it,” he said.
A hole out from the fairway on the next hole, the par-4 fifth, got him started followed up by a birdie on the par-4 eighth hole.
“I was really nervous to start,” said Uihlein. “I made an awful double on the first hole. After I made that eagle, I was able to get a little more comfortable and played okay from there on out.”
Uihlein sits in a tie for 34th with fellow amatuer Brad Benjamin from Rockford, Ill. Benjamin had an equally bumpy ride to a 72 with five bogeys and one double offset by 6 birdies.
Russell Henley, the University of Georgia grad that has already beaten a full field of Nationwide pros at this year's Stadion Classic, carded a steady round of 73 with just three bogeys and one birdie.
Cheng-Tsung Pan, the Chinese Tapei native is tied for 64th place with a score of 74 on the tough par-71 Congressional layout.
Patrick Cantlay, the touted UCLA freshman shot 75 while Chris Williams from Moscow Idaho and the 16- year-old Beau Hossler from Mission Viejo, Calif. went around in 76.
Brett Patterson from McMinnville, Tenn. carded 77 and Steve Irwin, son of the three-time U.S. Open Champion Hale Irwin carded 78.
Scott Pinckney from Scottsdale, Ariz. was even on the first nine holes but struggle on the more difficult back to post a 79.
David Chung, the Stanford Senior and U.S. Amateur runner up, posted 82 and the St. Petersburg law school grad Michael Barbosa shot 83.