Alabama's Sykora Takes Lead in State Amateur Championship
6/11/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
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By IAN THOMPSON
The Birmingham News
The leaderboard at the 88th State Amateur Championship has a crimson and white flavor to it, with a dash of orange and blue. Joseph Sykora fired a 5-under-par 66 to lead after the first round at Bent Brook Golf Course.
He is followed by Gator Todd and Keith White (both at 67), with nine players on 69 - Patrick Levio, David Cothran, Scott Taylor, Earle Bidez, Lee Williams, Woodie Eubanks, Will McDonald, John Stewart and Andrew Lee.
Sykora, 19, is from Daphne and redshirted his just-completed first year at the University of Alabama. He edged his future Crimson Tide teammate Todd by a shot.
"I putted good. The greens here are so good. I haven't shot a 66 in a while, so that was nice."
He started with a bang, with an eagle on his first hole (tournament No.10, No.1 on Brook). He hit the green in two and holed a 30-foot putt.
He followed that with birdies on Nos.13, 14, 6 and 7, against a lone bogey on No.4.
This is Sykora's first State Amateur. He was scheduled to qualify for it before being informed that his top 30 finish in last year's Alabama Open exempted him into the championship.
"I'm hoping to help turn our team (Alabama) around. We need that. We're going to be a young team, but I think we're going to be good."
Todd, 18, came into the State Amateur on a hot streak, having won the State High School Championship and the State Four Ball Championship (with Patton Kizzire) in the last six weeks. He will be a freshman at Alabama this fall.
He had the opportunity to shoot even lower, as he was 7-under-par through 14 holes, but bogeyed Nos.15, 16 and 18. He had an eagle on No.2 and birdies on Nos.3, 8, 10, 11 and 14.
"I'm playing with a lot of confidence. I'd rather think about the 67 I shot rather than the last four holes. Another 67 will put me right where I need to be.
"The course is playing very fair. Keep it in the fairway and you'll see some pretty low scores."
White, 18, is an Auburn signee set to report for coach Mike Griffin's Tigers in the fall. He birdied Nos.6, 8, 10 and 13, with no bogeys.
"Anytime you have a round with no bogeys, it means you missed shots in the right place and putted pretty well from a short distance. I did both those things.
"It's only first round, but I'm pleased to be off to a good start."
After the second round concludes today, the low 66 players and ties will make the cut for the final two rounds this weekend. The leaders will tee off No.1 at 9:30 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.
