Nationwide Tour: Two share EnergySolutions lead

Friday, 08 September 2006 00:00

Former four-time All-American Bryce Molder shares the Utah EnergySolutions lead with Scott Parel. (Steve Griffin/The Salt Lake Tribune)

SANDY - A lot was expected from Bryce Molder when he graduated from Georgia Tech in 2001. The golf phenom was only the fourth collegian in history to earn first-team All-America honors four consecutive years, joining David Duvall, Phil Mickelson and Gary Hallberg.
A round in which he shot a 12-under 60 while playing with fellow Arkansas native President Bill Clinton only heightened expectations, and as the century began, Molder was believed to be the next big thing in professional golf.
It hasn't happened for the 27-year-old from Little Rock, but perhaps Thursday's round at the Utah Championship will be the step that propels him to the stardom he seemed destined to attain.
Molder shot an 8-under 64 as the Nationwide Tour event started at Willow Creek Country Club, and shares the lead with Georgia's 41-year-old Scott Parel, who was a computer programmer for 10 years before turning pro, heading into today's second round.
At 65 are Ken Duke and Craig Lile, while three players are tied for fifth at 66: Aaron Barber, Michael Putnam and Jeff Quinney.
"I didn't hit it spectacularly well, I just happened to score really well," Molder said. "I missed an 8-footer [for birdie] on the second hole. Other than that, I could not have shot any lower."
Molder needed just 21 putts on his way to eight birdies and no bogeys, the longest putt he made being a 20-footer on No. 5. (Willow Creek's nines are reversed for the tournament). He hit just 11 of 18 greens in regulation.
"I made everything, really," he said. "I haven't been putting especially well, but they all found the hole today."
Molder is 19th in scoring average and 23rd in putting average on the tour, but
is just 61st on the money list with $72,364. The top 20 at year's end graduate to the PGA Tour, the circuit Molder played on before losing his card in 2003.
He said it hasn't been easy dealing with all the expectations.
"The tough thing was you see how guys play and you convince yourself there is only one right way to play, and that is to hit the exact same shot over and over," he said. "I fell into that trap, and felt that what I was doing was not good enough."
He said this year he got back to hitting shots that fit his game, rather than someone else's.
"It's been a long process," he said, "but I am hitting more really good shots this year than I ever have."
As for Parel, he's 100th on the money list and starting to feel like he belongs on the tour after posting his lowest score of the year.
"It was very benign out there [in the afternoon]," he said. "The wind was negligible, so scoring was fairly easy."

* Bryce Molder and Scott Parel share the first-round lead after firing 8-under-par 64s at Willow Creek Country Club.
* Sandy's Steve Schneiter, Farmington's Joseph Summerhays and former Brigham Young golfer Ron Harvey Jr. shot 70s to post the best scores among those with Utah ties.

Article Courtesy of The Salt Lake Tribune