Will Grimmer used six straight birdies to take the lead after round one
(Ohio State photo)

Grimmer, who just finished his sophomore season at the Ohio State University, bogeyed the first hole but then rattled off six straight birdies starting at the second to go out in 30. He came home in a steady even-par 35.

“I bogeyed the first hole, and when I walked off the seventh green I was 5 under par,” said Grimmer as he recounted his round to Alex Podlogar of Pinehurst. “I chipped in on 2, hit to about 4 feet on 3, hit to 3 feet on 4, had 12 feet on 5, rolled that in for birdie. Then I pulled a 5 iron on 6 and thought it would roll into the bunker, but it just stayed up about 15 feet from the flag, and then I rolled that in for birdie. Then I go to 7, hit a little 9 iron in 5 feet right of the hole and made that putt... It was just unconscious golf. I was like, ‘What is going on?’”

Jonathan Hardee of Boiling Springs, SC, fresh off a record-setting win at the Southeastern Amateur, shot a 67 and sits alone in second, two shots back.

Three U.S. Open competitors are inside the top ten after day one. Cameron Champ of Sacramento, CA, who made the cut at Erin Hills and finished T32 at even par, shot a one-under 69 Monday and is tied for third.

Alex Smalley of Wake Forest, NC, who nearly made the U.S. Open cut at 3-over, also shot 69 and is tied with Champ.

Christopher Crawford of Bensalem, PA, who has played in the last two U.S. Opens, shot an even-par 70 and is tied for sixth.

Grimmer has also played in the U.S. Open, qualifying in 2014 when it was played at Pinehurst #2.

The only other player in the field to break par was Shuai Ming (Ben) Wong of The Woodlands, TX, who shot a one-under 69 and is in the third place tie. Wong has good memories of Pinehurst, recently winning the U.S. Four-Ball Championship with teammate Frankie Capan.

Tied with Crawford in sixth at even par 70 are Zachary Bauchou of Forest, VA; Chase Hanna of Leawood, KS; and Manuel Torres of Venezuela.

The defending champion, Timothy Conover of Holly Springs, NC, opened with a two-over 72 and is in good position to make match play.

The second round of stroke play qualifying will be played Tuesday, after which the starting field of 88 will be cut to the low 32 players (with a playoff to determine the final spots if necessary) for match play.

The 2017 North & South Amateur is the 117th edition of one of the nation's oldest and most prestigious championships. It is the longest consecutively-running amateur golf championship in the United States.