Men's Golf

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Aug. 4, 2009

Champaign, Ill. - The dog days of summer have been kind to Illini senior Zach Barlow. Last year, the Percy, Ill., native played his best golf in late August and September, and this year those months have much the same ring to it. Barlow fired a four-under par 67 in the first round of the 107th Western Amateur in Lake Forest, Ill., to complete his first round as a tri-leader in the prestigious event. Sophomore Illinois teammate Luke Guthrie is also in the hunt in a tie for fourth at -3, just one stroke out of the lead.

Barlow's steady round consisted of five birdies and just one bogey. Teeing off from the tenth tee late in the day, he strung together three birdies in his first six holes and never left the leaderboard. He got as low as -5 with birdies on two and three before suffering his only black score of the day with bogey on the par-four fifth.

Last year, Barlow represented his downstate roots with a victory at the Illinois Amateur midway through August and just four weeks later tied for the title at the Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational over a field that featured seven ranked teams.

Not that the early part of the summer has been shabby for Barlow either. He placed 12th at the Sunnehanna Amateur in mid-June, then not only qualified for the U.S. Public Links Amateur, but easily advanced to the match play round. He is also an alternate for a spot in the U.S. Amateur in three weeks.

Guthrie has been picking up steam as well. The 19-year old from Quincy, Ill., is actually getting back to the form he had during the summer of 2007 when he emerged as one of the top junior players in the country. This summer he reached the round of the 32 at the U.S. Public Links, then dominated his qualifying day for the U.S. Amateur in late July. That day he put together two rounds of 64 consisting of 15 birdies and one eagle in winning the qualifier by nine strokes over teammate Clayton Parkhill.

Tuesday, Guthrie attacked the 7,216-yard par 71 Conway Farms Course early with birdies on one and three, then really picked steam on the back nine with birdies on 11, 13, 14, 15 to temporarily give him a two-stroke lead at -6. A double bogey, bogey, par finish kept him from sharing the first-round lead with Barlow.

"It was nice to come right out and build a little momentum from the beginning," Guthrie said. "I knew it was a tough course and it crept up to bite me on 16 and 17. Overall, though, I wanted to keep it in play because of the long rough and was able to do that most of the day."

As far as the summer of '09 is considered, Guthrie said. "I'm starting to get back into it. I just kept plugging away and the hard work is paying off. "

Barlow and Guthrie aren't the only Illinois players at the tournament. Sophomore Mason Jacobs is tied for 58th after a first-round 75; junior Scott Langley shot 77; senior Matt Hoffman a 78; and senior Parkhill an 83.

Barlow is tied for the lead with Andrew Yun of Chandler, Ariz., and Kevin Tway of Oklahoma State, the son of noted professional Bob Tway, Last year's NCAA Player of the Year contender Mike Van Sickle of Marquette shot 73 and is tied for 27th.

The 72-hole championship will be cut to the top 44 and ties after Wednesday's second round then to 16 after the third and fourth rounds on Thursday. The 16-man match play takes place Friday and Saturday.