RUMFORD, R.I. (June 18, 2014) -- The wind was howling and scoring was at a premium. But LSU’s Stewart Jolly found a way to withstand both realities during the first round of play at the 2014 Northeast Amateur.

Jolly, a member of the U.S. Palmer Cup squad, fired a 2-under 67 to take the lead over a loaded field under tough conditions at Wannamoisett Country Club.

Jolly went out in even par 34 and, after balancing a bogey on No. 15 with a birdie on 10, birdied Nos. 17 and 18 to come in with the low mark of the day.

Purdue’s Adam Schenk and Hans Reimers, a recent Mercer graduate, held the lead after the morning action. They both shot 1-under 68s despite the wind howling at its fastest speeds during morning play. During the afternoon wave, Kurt Kitayama of UNLV and Ole Miss’ Blake Morris carded 1-under 68s on the short but trick Donald Ross design.

“It was a lot of fun playing in the wind,” Reimers said. “I’ve had a lot of success playing in the wind and I was really able to control my ball today.

Reimers, who hails from Oregon and won last year’s Brickyard Collegiate and Oregon State Open titles, birdied Nos. 16, 17 and 18 -- after starting on No. 10 -- and withstood a bogey-4 on the par- 3 8th for his solid start.

“I love (the course,” he said. “It’s very similar to some styles of courses we have back home. Real short, narrow, some long rough and some fast, quick bent grass greens.”

Schenk, the 2013 Indiana State Amateur champion and Top 3 finisher at the AmateurGolf.com San Diego County Amateur earlier this year, balanced five bogeys with four birdies and an eagle-3 on the par-5 17th.

Northeast Amateur Round 1 Photos

Wake Forest’s Clancy Waugh finished at even par tied alongside UNC’s Bailey Patrick. Waugh had it going early on, shooting 3-under on his front nine. A double-bogey 6 on the par-4 second, however, halted his string of birdies.

A group of 10 golfers sit at 1-over 70 after Round 1. The group includes Georgia Tech’s Seth Reeves, 2012 U.S. Mid-Amateur runner-up Garrett Rank of Canada and Gavin Hall, the University of Texas star who played in the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion.

““It was kind of hard out there. This is just like back home,” said Hall, who hails from the Rochester, N.Y. area. ““IIt’s hard to read the greens. these are the best greens. I didn’t really have an expectations. but wanted to play solid.”

Jordan Niebrugge, a 2013 U.S. Walker Cup team member, leads a group of players tied at 2-over 71.Indeed, the wind was the story Wednesday at Wannamoisett Country Club. While it slowed as they day moved along, its impact was felt on the small and tricky putting surfaces on the Ross-designed course.

All told, there are 16 players inside three shots of the lead and another eight golfers just four shots back entering Thursday’s second of four rounds at Wannamoisett.

The event, which annually features one of the game’s best fields and calls Ben Crenshaw, David Duval, Dustin Johnson and Luke Donals among its impressive list of winners, does not feature a cut. AmateurGolf.com will have complete coverage of the 2014 Northeast Amateur, including recaps, notebooks and more through Saturday’s final round. For a full list of first-round scores, please follow the results link below. 2014 Northeast Amateur Round 1 Recap

ENTRIES OPEN: Entries are now open for 2024 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship

Neal Shipley's amazing week at the 88th Masters Tournament

15-year-old Miles Russell shoots 3-under 68 on Korn Ferry Tour

Meet the five amateurs teeing it up at The 2024 Masters

ENTRIES OPEN: Entries are now open for the U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur