Vermont Amateur: The leaderboard after Day 1 from Brattleboro
Familiarity struck first on Tuesday.
Ryan Kohler closed with a string of birdies to card a 4-under 67, seizing a two-shot lead following the opening round of the 116th Vermont Amateur at Brattleboro Country Club.
Kohler, Brattleboro's club champion, poured in four of his five birdies during back-nine 31, to soar atop the leaderboard. Rutland's Nick Ojala, Equinox's Jason Balch and Burlington's Troy Goliber, last year's runner-up, sit in a tie for second place after rounds of 69.
Lucas Politano of Ralph Myhre is fifth after a 70. Eight golfers, including defending champion Bryson Richards of Newport and two-time winner Evan Russell of Champlain shot 71 to sit in a tie for sixth out of a field of 101.
After bogeying the ninth hole, Kohler birdied at the 12th and 15th holes before knocking in back-to-back birdies Nos. 17 and 18 for the Day 1 lead.
The tournament resumes with Round 2 on Wednesday morning. The top 40 golfers, ties included, after Wednesday make the cut for Thursday's 36-hole finale.
Rutland leads the team standings for the McCullough Cup (6-over), ahead of Burlington (9-over) and Brattleboro (10-over).
Vermont Amateur scores
First round (Tuesday)
At Brattleboro Country Club
Par 71
Ryan Kohler (Brattleboro) — 67
Nick Ojala (Rutland) — 69
Jason Balch (Equinox) — 69
Troy Goliber (Burlington) — 69
Lucas Politano (Ralph Myhre) — 70
Mike Coakley (CC of Vermont) — 71
Troy Evans (Barre) — 71
Brody Yates (Kwiniaska) — 71
Cory Jozefiak (802 Golf Academy) — 71
Bryson Richards (Barre) — 71
Max Major (Rutland) — 71
Jared Nelson (Rutland) — 71
Evan Russell (Champlain) — 71
Jacob Miller (Brattleboro) — 72
Nathan Godbout (Burlington) — 72
Phil Fairbanks (Mountain View) — 72
Sam Myers (Champlain) — 72
Andrew Trask (Manchester) — 73
Colby Sanville (Quechee) — 73
Tyler Parker (Stowe) — 73
Sean Keogh (Lakeside) — 74
Taylor Bellemare (Ekwanok) — 74
Ryan Porter (Manchester) — 74
Bryan Laselle (Dorset) — 74
Stephen Richards (Rocky Ridge) — 75
Frankie Sanborn (Rutland) — 75
Austin Giroux (Newport) — 75
Nelson Eaton (Barre) — 75
Garren Poirier (Rutland) — 75
Keith Komline (Dorset) — 76
Nicholas Murphy (Rocky Ridge) — 76
Michael Walsh (Burlington) — 76
Andy Weigand (Burlington) — 76
Sebastian Pell (Rutland) — 76
Chad Bullock (Mount Snow) — 76
Glen Boggini (Lakeside) — 76
Jeffrey Houle (Brattleboro) — 76
Nick Trottier (Crown Point) — 77
Caleb Keyes (Manchester) — 77
Eamon Deffner (Lakeside) — 77
Brian O'Grady (Ekwanok) — 77
Logan Broyles (Rutland) — 77
Aaron Wood (Mount Anthony) — 77
Ryan Manley (VT National) — 77
Hogan Beazley (Ralph Myhre) — 77
Harrison Digangi (Dorset) — 77
Lance Robinson (CC of Vermont) — 77
Thomas Deck (Dorset) — 78
Jackson King (Barton) — 78
JJ McDevitt (Mount Snow) — 78
Chace Newhouse (Stowe) — 78
Cameron Saia (Williston) — 78
Mathew Prendergast (Manchester) — 78
Michael Trimboli (VT National) — 78
Seth Anderson (VT National) — 78
Seth Anderson (VT National) — 78
Jeffrey Maier (Williston) — 78
William Eaton (Barre) — 79
Ben Swinarton (Dorset) — 79
Charlie Davis (Ekwanok) — 79
Greg Montgomery (Brattleboro) — 79
Dana Mentzer (Barre) — 79
Luke Hopkins (Fox Fun) — 79
Paul Fine-Lease (Ralph Myhre) — 79
Jordon Plummer (Stowe) — 79
Greg Wells (Lakeside) — 79
Andrew Merrill (Neshobe) — 80
Andrew Loney (Brattleboro) — 80
Riley Richards (Barre) — 80
Alex Leonard (Williston) — 80
Samuel Major (Rutland) — 80
William Hadden (Dorset) — 81
Brett Roland (Fox Run) — 81
David Gerhardt (VT National) — 81
Evan Forrest (Williston) — 82
Ryan Rexford (Williston) — 82
John Parsons (Sugarbush) — 82
Dylan Otis (Barre) — 82
Cam Fitzgerald (Williston) — 82
Richie Snow (Williston) — 82
Oliver Mauk (Manchester) — 83
Ryan Shields (Burlington) — 83
Mitchell Evans (Barre) — 83
Jason Ryan (Rutland) — 83
Nathan Benoit (Champlain) — 83
David Evans (Brattleboro) — 83
Lincoln Sinclair (Stowe) — 83
Mathew Smith (Manchester) — 84
Eugene Richards (Burlington) — 84
Camden Ayer (Cedar Knoll) — 84
Brady Perron (Cedar Knoll) — 85
Zach Vincent (Burlington) — 85
Nicholas Wood (Rutland) — 85
Scott Rankins (Lakeside) — 86
Brady Hathorn (Quechee) — 86
Jack Patrick Bryan (Kwiniaska) — 89
Sam Handy (VT National) — 89
Jim Morrisssey (Kwiniaska) — 89
Jake Nickerson (CC of Vermont) — 90
Adam Ely (Lakeside) — 90
David Pettine (Burlington) — 95
Taylor Mattingly (Ekwanok) — WD
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Vermont Amateur: Ryan Kohler seizes Day 1 lead at Brattleboro
