GREENLAND – A year ago Harvin Groft led the Seacoast Amateur Golf Championship after the first round but had to withdraw following the second with a torn oblique muscle on his left side.
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Fast forward 12 months and the former Penn State golfer is back in form and back atop the leaderboard after shooting a 1-under par 71 in the opening round of the 44th annual Seacoast Am on Friday in windy conditions at Portsmouth Country Club.
“Overall, I feel good,” said Groft, who carded the only sub-par round. “Coming into this year I’ve been working on a slightly different hand position in my golf swing. I’ve just been prepared to really be patient with that because making a change in the golf swing and starting to do well with it on a regular day is one thing but trying to use it under the pressure of a tournament is just a whole other monster in itself.”
Portsmouth’s Peter Lown, representing First Tee of New Hampshire, is two back in second place with a 1-over 73 as is Patrick Casey of the Ledges Golf Club in York, Maine. Josh Trivilino of York Golf & Tennis and Nick Schlosstein of The Golf Club of New England are tied for fourth at 74.
Lown ‘pleased’ with performance
Despite an up-and-down round that featured five bogeys and four birdies, Lown managed to stay away from any big numbers.
“I’m pretty pleased with it,” he said. “I had a lot of bogeys and a lot of birdies. I hit the ball OK. I’ve played here a lot. I went to Portsmouth High School and this was our home course. I’ve played here many times which definitely helps in windy conditions. I kept the ball in play all day which was nice.”
Trivilino is playing in his second Seacoast Am after missing the cut last year. He played collegiately at Division III St. Lawrence University and the team qualified for nationals his freshman year.
He was at even par through 17 holes Friday but three-putted on 18 and ended up with a double bogey.
“I’m really happy with the ball-striking,” Trivilino said. “I just needed to make more putts. I left quite a bit out there. I had a lot of good birdie putts inside of 15 feet and missed. I hit good putts but just didn’t read the greens well.”
Defending champ Ferullo four strokes back
Defending champ Jamie Ferullo of Rochester Country Club is in a three-way tie for sixth at 75, a group that includes his brother Kory and Kirk O’Quinn of Portsmouth CC.
Jamie Ferullo was 5-over following a double bogey at No. 12 but played the final four holes in 2-under to salvage the round.
“I gave myself a lot of chances on the front,” he said. “I didn’t take advantage of any of the par 5s today, which is normally what I do best. It was incredibly difficult out there. The wind was up big-time. I didn’t have my best day but I’m happy with the way I finished.”
Groft, a member of The Oaks Golf Links in Somersworth who won the 2020 Seacoast Am, finished with three birdies and two bogeys. Following a bogey at No. 3 he birdied the next hole to get that stroke back and after bogeying No. 13 he birdied 14 and 15 to go 1-under.
“He’s an incredible player,” Ferullo said. “He controls his golf ball so playing in the wind doesn’t affect him much. It doesn’t surprise me at all.”
Will Delano of York Golf & Tennis, last year’s runner-up, is in a four-way tie for ninth at 76.
Upcoming rounds at Pease, Breakfast Hill
Saturday’s second round will be played at Pease Golf Course in Portsmouth with the third and final round Sunday scheduled for Breakfast Hill Golf Club in Greenland.
“I definitely have better rounds to play,” Lown said. “If I keep shooting 73 it probably won’t be enough because Pease will probably be pretty gettable (Saturday). If it’s not windy it could be playing pretty easy so guys can go really low there.”
Stone sits atop senior leaderboard
Competing in the Tony Loch Senior Division, Keith Stone of Pease shot 73 on Friday at Portsmouth CC. The seniors are ineligible for the overall championship because they play from the forward tees.
“I didn’t make worse than a bogey and that’s important with the wind,” he said. “I kept it in play.”
Stone finished with four bogeys and three birdies and after one round has a five-shot lead over second-place John Mumford of The Golf Club of New England.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Former champion Groft has first-round lead at Seacoast Amateur