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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels September 1, 2004 Four tied atop the leaderboard after Day 1 at RVCC By Don Hunt For the Tidings It was rather crowded at the top of the leader board during first-round qualifying at the Southern Oregon Golf Tournament on Tuesday. Brooks Newsom, Glen Clark, Nick Nieto and Rick Dimick all fired 2-under-par 70s in the regular men's division on the No. 1 course at Rogue Valley Country Club. Today, the out-of-town golfers will get their chance at medalist honors and the women take their turn at qualifying. Match play in the 75th annual event kicks off Thursday. Newsom, the 1998 champion and 1999 runner-up, hit two drives out of bounds over the first four holes and was 3-over-par at that juncture. But he heated up with seven birdies over the final 14 holes to walk off the course with a respectable score. "I felt like I was playing catch-up the whole way, but I was pleased at the way I fought back," said Newsom, who lives in Portland and is the regional manager at Pacific Office Automation. Newsom didn't play much golf early this summer but has teed it up and fared well in recent weeks. He finished fifth at the Oregon Stroke Play Championships in Klamath Falls Aug. 13-15, snagged one of four berths in the prestigious U.S. Mid-Amateur tournament when he shot 71 at a qualifier at Tualatin Country Club one week later and finished second to Bret Breeze with rounds of 72 and 67 at last week's Rogue Valley Stroke Play Championships at Cedar Links. "I wasn't feeling good about my game a month ago, but I feel like I've gotten into a groove the last month," the 35-year-old Newsom said. "The repetition obviously helps. "My wife and I had our third child eight months ago and I've been busy coaching T-ball for my daughter. Your family takes out a big chunk of your time, and I'm not going to ignore them for my golf game." Clark, a two-time semifinalist seeking his first S.O. title, was the steady linksman of the day, generating 14 pars to go with three birdies and one bogey. His lone hiccup came when he hit out of bounds on No. 8. Nieto, an 18-year-old who just became eligible for the tournament, admitted he was "a little nervous" prior to his round but still birdied the first hole. "I'm happy with the way I played," said Nieto, a senior-to-be at South Medford High. "I've played on this course a lot and I just tried to think of it as another tournament." Nieto, who putted poorly in the Rogue Valley Stroke Play Championships, spent more than an hour on his short game Monday, using a putting drill that he picked up from Clark. "I think it helped," Nieto said. "I only had 31 putts today." Dimick, meanwhile, used a hot start en route to his good round. He eagled the par-5 first hole and was 4-under through 12 holes. But what could have became an extraordinary qualifying round faded on his way to the clubhouse as Dimick suffered three bogeys on his final six holes. "I just couldn't get anything going on the way in," said Dimick. who knocked Newsom from the tournament in the first round of match play last year. "I should have shot in the 60s, but I'm playing well right now and I'm confident heading into match play." The roller coaster round of the day belonged to Justin Wise. The 2002 semifinalist carded seven birdies and five pars but the good holes were counteracted by four bogeys and two double bogeys. He finished with a 74. "I went from 2-under to 3-over in three holes," said Wise, who encountered OB adversity on the 10th and 12th holes. "I wasn't decisive on my club selection during that stretch and I let it get to me. "But I regrouped with two straight birdies (on Nos. 13 and 14) and I felt good about that. I just said to myself, hey, you've been playing well, just settle down and hit the ball like you know how." Trailing the four leaders was two-time semifinalist Breeze, who shot even-par 72. Adam Browne, David Mayer and Phil Cardin were another shot back at 73. In the junior-senior division, Jerry Eklund fired an even-par 72, while Terry Anderson led the first-day qualifying for the senior division with a 71. Anderson, who won the city senior title last week and the RVCC senior men's club championship last month, was 4-under through 14 holes but, as he put it, "leaked a little oil coming in." Known for his lights-out putting, Anderson needed just 12 putts on the front nine and 16 putts through 13 holes. "I got a couple of 15-footers to drop and that always helps," Anderson said. "But I three-putted the 15th hole and missed a short birdie putt on 16, so I'm hardly perfect." 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