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Max Buckley 1-Under Par at USGA Amateurs

Rye native Max Buckley ends first day at US Amateurs Golf Tournament 1-under par.

For 11 holes, Erin Hills Golf Course's 7,760-yard links layout felt like it was paved in gold for Max Buckley.

The Rye native was 4-under par on his round and in contention to bring home the first-round lead at the U.S. Amateur on Monday.  However, bogeys on Nos. 3, 6, 7 and 8 left Buckley to a 1-under-par round. 

“I felt really good to that point (through 11 holes),” Buckley said.  “But then I hit the rut toward the end of my round.”

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Buckley started slow with a bogey on No. 10, but dusted off the damage with consecutive birdies on Nos. 12, 13 and 14.  Another on the 509-yard par-4 17th hole helped the Southern Methodist University senior-to-be to an opening 33 on the course’s back nine.

“The front nine was great,” Buckley said.  “I made three birdies in a row and turned in 3-under.”

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Another birdie on No. 1 made it five in eight holes for Buckley, before things started coming unglued on the 498-yard par-4 third hole.

After the suffering the train wreck on his 15th, 16th and 17th holes, Buckley rid himself of any lingering bad taste by dropping a 25-foot putt for birdie on the short par-3 ninth hole.

“After four bogeys in seven holes I made a nice birdie on the last hole,” Buckley said.  “1-under feels a whole lot better than even.  Making a great putt to end my round was really satisfying.”

After the first day of stroke play competition, Buckley stands in solid position to make the top-64 cut for match play competition starting on Wednesday.  A decent round on the more comfortable Blue Mound Country Club is all that is going to take.

“I play a lot of golf at home at courses that are tree-lined (like Blue Mound),” Buckley said.  “There are only a few like Shinnecock Hills, Maidstone Club and the National that are like this, courses where you have to keep your ball in play and use a lot of 3-woods to take advantage of the firm conditions.”

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