Another Wellshear paces TGA

By Brad Noller

The Capital-Journal

After helping his brother to the TGA Stroke Play title a year ago, Garth Wellshear wanted to show who's boss in the opening round of the 2001 tournament at Forbes Golf Course.

Garth, who caddied for brother Thad Wellshear in his wire-to-wire tournament win in 2000, carded a 69 to take a two-shot lead on the course on which he first played golf.

"I've had to listen to him for the last year," said Garth, 43, who became Forbes' club champion in 1976 and later had a stint on the Hooters professional golf tour until 1997. "I told him I'm coming to get it (TGA title) from him."

Wellshear went out with a 33 on the front nine, highlighted by three straight birdies on Nos. 5-7, then finished with a 36 on the back nine, in part because of a conservative approach.

"Patience was the key; I wanted to hit the fairways and greens," said Wellshear, who missed only two fairways and three greens in regulation. "I tried to hit it close a couple of times and it cost me."

Wellshear birdied two holes on the back, including the 497-yard par-5 No. 15 hole after one of his booming drives. A 120-yard sand wedge approach left a two-putt birdie, which was his fourth of five birdies on the day compared to only two bogies, on Nos. 12 and 17, both par-3s.

"Thad gets me going. He's the only reason I'm out here; I want him, but he doesn't want none of me," joked Garth, who has had a friendly but fierce rivalry his younger brother. "He has a great attitude and is definitely a competitor."

Thad Wellshear, 35, kept in the hunt with a steady 72 to move into a tie for fourth with Sean McClain. Both players vaulted to 3 under after 11 holes before finishing the day at even par.

"All I want is for (Garth and I) to be in the final group come next Sunday," Thad said of the possibility of the two duking it out in the final round next Sunday. "That would be a lot of fun."

Charlie Mahon and Dave Carson each carded 71s to move into second place. Mahon, who helped Dodge City Community College to its best- ever 12th-place finish in the juco national tournament last spring, collected seven birdies but faltered on the par 3s.

Mahon birdied Nos. 2, 4, 6 and 7 on the front, but settled for a 34 after a double bogey 5 on No. 3. After birdies on Nos. 15 and 16 to move to 3 under, he double-bogeyed No. 17 with a three-putt.

"I played pretty well but made some stupid mistakes," said Mahon, who will continue his collegiate career at UMKC next fall.

"This is one of my top tournaments of the summer; it is really a great tournament."

After three straight bogies on Nos. 12-14, Carson finished strong with birdies at Nos. 16 and 17. The birdie at No. 17, a 185-yard par 3, capped a round of four birdies, three bogies and 11 pars.

The second round begins today 11:30 a.m. at Western Hills. Then the field will be split. The top 40 players will play Saturday at Topeka Country Club and Sunday at Shawnee Country Club.

Complete results in Scoreboard, 4D

TGA

leaderboard

The top scores from the first round of the TGA Stroke Play tournament Saturday at Forbes:

- 69 --- Garth Wellshear

- 71 --- Dave Carson, Charlie Mahon

- 72 --- Sean McClain, Thad Wellshear

- 74 --- Tim Bervert, Dean Lackey, Derek Dultmeier

Copyright 2001
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