Greenland, NH – Noah Farland (Laconia Country Club) carded a 5-under-par 66 to take the first-round lead Tuesday at the New Hampshire Stroke Play Championship, opening a three-shot advantage after the opening 18 holes at Breakfast Hill Golf Club.
The championship features 54 holes of cumulative stroke play across three courses. Following Tuesday’s opening round at Breakfast Hill, the field will head to Pease Golf Club on Wednesday before the low 40 players and ties advance to Thursday’s final round at Portsmouth Country Club.
With tee times beginning from both the 1st and 10th holes, Farland started his day on the back nine and quickly settled into a rhythm on a course he had never played before. He said, “It was my first time seeing the golf course, so I was just trying to keep the ball in front of me. The greens were small, so I was trying to hit as many as possible, and the putter got hot.”
Farland made an immediate statement, birdieing holes 13 and 14 before turning in 2-under-par 33. He continued his steady play on the front nine, adding birdies on holes 2, 4, 5, and 9. His only blemishes came with bogeys on the 8th and 15th holes, but each was quickly erased with a birdie shortly afterward as he closed with a tournament-best 66.
He stated, “As soon as I hit the first tee shot, I felt pretty confident. I came into this feeling well prepared, and the goal is to win.”
Farland’s ability to respond after mistakes proved to be a key factor in his round. He commented, “I had two bogeys on the day, but I was able to follow them up with birdies. Going into tomorrow, I just have to rinse and repeat.”
With 36 holes still to play against a deep field of 90 competitors, Farland knows the tournament is far from over saying, “I’m looking forward to testing my game this week. I’m playing with the lead in a competitive field.”
Derek Dinwoodie sits alone in second after an opening-round 2-under-par 69. Dinwoodie got moving early, rolling in a 10-foot birdie putt on the opening hole before piecing together a consistent round that kept him within striking distance of the lead.
He credited his performance on the greens for keeping his score under par throughout the day stating, “The putter was feeling really good today, and I hope to keep that rolling going into tomorrow. I felt like I hit it good today, but it wasn’t spectacular.”
With two rounds remaining, Dinwoodie plans to rely on the same game plan that put him near the top of the leaderboard. He said,”I just have to keep the ball in front of me and keep it rolling tomorrow.”
Joe Leavitt and Jim Cilley share third place at 1-under-par 70, while Bryce Zimmerman and Andrew Surprenant are tied for fifth at even-par 71.
The championship resumes Wednesday as the field shifts to Pease Golf Club, where players will compete for a place inside the cut line. After the second round, the 90-player field will be reduced to the low 40 players and ties before the championship concludes Thursday at Portsmouth Country Club. With Farland carrying a three-shot advantage into Round 2, the race for the Stroke Play Championship remains open as the field prepares for another demanding test.
Stroke Play Championship | Leaderboard
