Ute Javier Barcos, Las Vegas pro Zane Thomas lead Utah Open

PROVO — The Siegfried & Jensen Utah Open annually attracts all the top players from Utah in its 156-golfer field, but after the first round of this year’s tourney, a 21-year-old amateur from Spain and a professional from Las Vegas lead the way.

Javier Barcos, who will be a senior on the University of Utah golf team, and Zane Thomas, each fired 6-under-par 66s Friday at Riverside Country Club and share a one-stroke lead over three others — David Timmins, Braydon Swapp and Simon Kwon.

Two-time champion Clay Ogden, 2013 champion Zach Johnson, Peter Kim, Brandon Kida, Chris Moody and Gavin Cohen are all another stroke back at 68.

PGA Tour regular and Ogden native Zac Blair leads a group of nine golfers at 69 including 2021 champion Derek Fribbs and Bruce Summerhays Jr.

Barcos, who led the Utes with a 71.7 scoring average and was a second-team all-Pac-12 selection, said he went home to Spain this summer to work hard on his iron play and it paid off Friday.

He hit it close all day with several short birdie putts, his longest coming from just eight feet.

“I hit the ball really good today, amazingly good,” Barcos said. “The back (nine) was a little slower and I didn’t make that many putts, but overall I’m pretty happy with my round.”

Thomas, a 29-year-old who played for UNLV, is a mini-tour player who qualified at Soldier Hollow on Monday.

Playing in one of the last groups Friday, Thomas came on strong late in his round with five birdies on the last seven holes, including a birdie at No. 18.

Timmins, who led after the first round last year as an amateur with a 65, turned pro after his BYU career ended and has been playing on the PGA Canada Tour.

Kwon is the recently-crowned Men’s State Amateur champion, while Swapp is an Ogden pro who was the State Am runner-up in 2017.

Scores of former champions in the tournament include Zahkai Brown (70), defending champion Blake Tomlinson (71), Sam Saunders (71), Dusty Fielding (72), BJ Staten (73), Pete Stone (76) and Mike Malaska (77).

Mitchell Schow, who won the Salt Lake CIty Open last week by five shots, finished with a 73, as did CBS broadcaster Tony Romo.

The field will be cut to the low 60 and ties for Sunday’s final round. The winner will receive $22,000.