MANCHESTER, N.H. – The opening round of the Mike Ryan Memorial concluded Monday at Derryfield Country Club, with leaders established across all four divisions following the first of three rounds of stroke play.
Colt Runyon holds the lead in the Birdie Division, Josie Lefebvre sits atop the Girls Championship Division, Brax Stevens leads the Boys Prep Division, and Sawyer Drummond and Zach Nelson share the lead in the Boys Elite Division.
Boys Elite
The Boys Elite Division produced the tightest race of the day, with Sawyer Drummond of Holderness and Zach Nelson of Concord each carding 2-over-par 72 to share the lead heading into Tuesday’s second round.
Drummond overcame a challenging opening nine that included bogeys on the first, third, sixth, and seventh holes. He responded with an impressive back-nine rally, recording birdies on Nos. 11, 13, and 16 to shoot 1-under-par 35 coming home and climb into a share of the lead.
Nelson reached the same total in a different fashion. After making the turn at 2-over-par 37, he answered with birdies on the 10th, 16th, and 17th holes. Despite a double bogey on the seventh and bogeys on Nos. 5, 11, and 14, his late birdie run helped him match Drummond at 72.
Henry DuBois sits alone in third after posting a 3-over-par 73, while Cooper Ladd is fourth at 4-over-par 74. Owen Murphy, Julian Hart, and Jake Wilson are tied for fifth at 5-over-par 75.
Boys Prep
Brax Stevens of Nottingham leads the Boys Prep Division after opening with a 10-over-par 80.
Stevens’ round featured birdies on the opening hole and the par-4 10th, helping offset a difficult day that included double bogeys on the third and 11th holes. His steady finish was enough to maintain a one-shot advantage over Marc Giampa, who shot 81.
Aidan Robichaud and Sam Farnell share third place at 12-over-par 82, while Keegan McCormack, Benjamin Tay, and Graham Bishop are tied for fifth at 13-over-par 83.
Girls Championship
Josie Lefebvre of Manchester built a commanding lead in the Girls Championship Division with a 4-over-par 74, finishing 13 strokes ahead of second-place Norah Fleming.
Lefebvre’s round was highlighted by birdies on the par-3 third, par-4 fifth, par-4 ninth, par-4 14th, and par-4 16th. Although she battled back-nine double bogeys on the 15th and 18th holes, she remained in control throughout the day to post the division’s lowest score.
“My putter was on fire today,” Lefebvre said. “I felt like Scottie Scheffler out there. The driver was also working because I had a 290-yard drive on hole 11. I also only left myself 180 yards on a par 5.”
Despite taking a sizable lead into the second round, Lefebvre said her approach will remain unchanged, stating “I know I have the lead, but I am going out there to attack because I don’t play conservative.”
Lefebvre credited her putting for helping her overcome a few mistakes late in the round, noting “I made a lot of big putts. With two double bogeys on the back, I still only shot +4.”
Norah Fleming is second at 17-over-par 87, followed by Madelyn Giampa at 18-over-par 88. Kendall Wishart sits fourth at 20-over-par 90, while Mackenzie Malcolm rounds out the top five at 26-over-par 96.
Birdie Division
Colt Runyon paced the Birdie Division after the opening round with a 7-over-par 43 over nine holes.
The Birdie Division competes over nine holes each day, and Runyon separated himself from the field with the division’s only birdie of the afternoon, making three on the par-4 fifth hole before closing with a par on the sixth. His steady play gave him a three-shot advantage over Jacob Tay heading into the second round.
Looking Ahead
With two rounds remaining in the 54-hole Mike Ryan Memorial, every division remains in position for an exciting finish. Drummond and Nelson enter Tuesday tied atop the Boys Elite leaderboard, while Stevens, Lefebvre, and Runyon will look to build on their opening-round advantages as the championship continues at Derryfield Country Club.
Mike Ryan Memorial | Leaderboard
