Dunn takes Mid-Am opening lead
Libby's Cielak sitting 2nd, two shots back
Bill Dunn did something 200 others failed to do Tuesday during first-round play of the 22nd annual Montana Mid-Am State Golf Tournament at Whitefish Lake Golf Club.
The 42-year-old golfer from Missoula broke par with a 2-under 70 on the 6,797-yard North Course.
"I putted fairly well," Dunn, a two-time runner-up in this event, said.
"I birdied four of six holes (from 8-13). That's when I played my best. Then I parred in."
Dunn said he dropped a "20-footer" on the 11th green for a birdie.
He said holes 10-15 are the most difficult.
"You can very easily shoot four or five over on those holes without blinking an eye," he said.
Libby's Joe Cielak finished right at par, while six golfers - Ron Garland of Bozeman, Alex Anderson of Red Lodge, Dirk Cloninger of Missoula, Jerry Pearsall of Billings, Travis Williams of Missoula and Bobby Irwin of Missoula - are tied for third with 74s.
Dave Streeter and Shawn Tucker, both of Whitefish, are in a three-way tie for ninth with 75s, along with John Campbell of Bozeman.
Twenty-nine golfers broke 80.
Mark Mance of Whitefish shot 76, John Cole of Kalispell 78, and Tim Redmond of Whitefish 79.
Play resumes today at 7 a.m. and the 54-hole events concludes on Thursday.
"I guess as good as any," Dunn said when asked if the course was suited for his game.
"If you hit it straight and putt well, you will do all right."
For the most part, Dunn was able to do just that after a shaky front nine.
"A couple of chip-outs," he said of what saved him.
"I didn't hit the ball very solid today. The first seven holes or so, I was hitting it stanky."
Dunn said the course was playing "long" and he called the pin placements "tough."
The scores reflected that.
Dunn finished one shot behind Chris McConnell of Lewistown a year ago at Green Meadow Country Club in Helena. The two-time defending Mid-Am champ shot a 78 Tuesday.
Dunn is playing in the Mid-Am for the fifth time. He finished seventh at the annual 4th of July Golf Tournament in Whitefish last month, and ninth at the Memorial Tournament in Missoula.
"Fair, not bad," he said of his play this summer.
"At the State Am, I started well, but didn't finish well.
"More of the same," he said of how he will approach the second round.
"Do the same thing I did today."
22nd Montana State Mid-Amateur
At Whitefish Lake Golf Club
North Course, par-72, 6,797 yards
First-round scores
Bill Dunn, Missoula 70
Joe Cielak, Libby 72
Alex Anderson, Red Lodge 74
Bobby Irwin, Missoula 74
Dirk Cloninger, Missoula 74
Ron Garland, Bozeman 74
Jerry Pearsall, Billings 74
Travis Williams, Missoula 74
Shawn Tucker, Whitefish 75
Dave Streeter, Whitefish 75
John Campbell, Bozeman 75
Bryon Mayala, Billings 76
John Dayries, Missoula 76
Mark Mance, Whitefish 76
Chuck Thoennes, Belgrade 76
Reid Lende, Livingston 77
Jeff Allen, Billings 77
Chris McConnell, Lewistown 78
Michael Williams, Clancy 78
Ron Alles, Missoula 78
Timothy Haas, Bozeman 78
Bob Gray, Missoula 78
John Cole, Kalispell 78
Doug Bennyhoff, Great Falls 78
Timothy Garden, Lolo 79
Craig Hurlbert, Hamilton 79
John Perros, Helena 79
Tim Redmond, Whitefish 79
Thomas McNeely, Billings 79
Mark Nedrud, Missoula 80
Dave Bohyer, Helena 80
Dow Powell, Whitefish 80
Brian Robertson, Missoula 80
Brandon Jurasek, Great Falls 80
Jim Schaible, Kalispell 80
John Pacheco, Whitefish 80
Geoff Easton, Missoula 80
Bob Blenker, Kalispell 80
Joe Johnston, Missoula 80
Parker Heller, Helena 80
Jamey Perlinski, Bozeman 80
Tom Bulger, Missoula 81
Hunter Lloyd, Bozeman 81
Tom Ployhar, Missoula 81
John Link, Red Lodge 81
Steve Gold, Whitefish 81
Jim Edwards, Missoula 81
Ryan VanDyke, Conrad 81
Steve Strand, Hamilton 81
Don Walter, Kalispell 81
Earl Rife, Great Falls 81
Marc Parriman, Helena 81
Bert Bridger, Laurel 81
Matt Stevenson, Missoula 82
Bob Keenan, Big Fork 82
John Dresser, Whitefish 82
Dan Konen, Billings 82
Kurt Winegardner, Bozeman 82
Michael Hodges, Columbia Falls 82
Hans Fehres, Great Falls 82
Verle Davison, Columbus 82
Ace Brown, Anaconda 82
Jon Schenk, Fairfield 82
Kurt McDonough, Florence 83
Roy Lende, Livingston 83
Tom Hall, Great Falls 83
Randy Warner, Missoula 83
Matthew Koehler, Missoula 84
Lee Levine, Bozeman 84
Daniel Crumbaker, Whitefish 84
John Beyer, Bozeman 84
Todd Dundas, Billings 84
Rick Forrette, Clancy 84
Sparkey McClean, Anaconda 84
Mark King, Whitefish 84
Justin Whitted, Shelby 84
Dan Ellis, Laurel 84
Tom Reynolds, Shelby 85
Rick Cannon, Missoula 85
Matt Sheridan, Missoula 85
Dean Chisholm, Columbia Falls 85
John Justin, Florence 85
Gene Burns, Missoula 85
Roger Amundson, Malta 85
Dennis Sacry, Whitehall 85
Chas Lansing, Dillon 85
Jim DeMars, Bozeman 85
Michael Boulds, Poplar 85
Steve Johnstone, Havre 85
Joe Perry, Big Sky 86
Rex Tanberg, Great Falls 86
John Velk, Missoula 86
Hollis West, Great Falls 86
Bob Anderson, Helena 86
Joe Easton, Missoula 86
Mike Walsh, Great Falls 86
John Carstensen, Bozeman 86
Steve Dennison, St. Ignatius 86
Graham Barnes, Missoula 86
Steve Sullivan, Missoula 86
Tom York, Bozeman 87
John Bohyer, Missoula 87
Edward Flesch, Shelby 87
Tom Heiman, Great Falls 87
Bill Hedge, Helena 87
Daniel Leader, Big Sandy 87
Pat DiFronzo, Butte 87
Mike Fauth, Billings 87
Tom Shea, Whitefish 87
Brad Dantic, Missoula 88
Bruce Walter, Great Falls 88
Jamie Boyer, Great Falls 88
Rob Venneman, Billings 88
Thom Peck, Bigfork 88
Brad Colberg, Missoula 88
Tim Roy, Missoula 88
Jon Larson, Lewistown 89
Tim Wenz, Kalispell 89
Don Hill, Libby 89
Dan Runyan, Livingston 89
Dale Haarr, Kalispell 89
Eriz Johnson, Bozeman 89
Peter Shober, Missoula 89
Steve Shelly, Missoula 89
Peter Tucker, Missoula 89
Bob Dick, Great Falls 89
John Howard, Helena 89
Bill Schwarzkoph, Billings 89
Dale Haarr, Billings 90
David Sandler, Kalispell 90
Ron Alles, Helena 90
Darren Rowe, Great Falls 90
Paul Johannsen, Whitefish 90
Jon Lowry, Kalispell 90
Brett Barker, Columbus 90
Jim Parr , Hamilton 90
John Boyle, Missoula 91
Bruce Grendahl, Helena 91
Chris Vidulich, Kalispell 91
Brett Thackeray, Lewistown 91
Jim Paulsen, Clancy 91
Brad Freeman, Lavina 91
Andy Shott, Missoula 91
Ryan Saunders, Bozeman 91
Sheldon Degele, Columbus 92
Kevin Aurich, Kalispell 92
Carl McMahon, Helena 92
Bruce Reid, Lewistown 92
Bob Degele, Billings 92
Joe Proctor, Missoula 92
Rod Gabriel, Missoula 92
Bob Ogg, Missoula 92
Wayne Nelson, Billings 92
Scott Willis, Missoula 92
John Shampeny, Manhattan 92
Charles Maus, Missoula 92
David Weaver, Bozeman 93
Rod Reid, Columbia Falls 93
Clint Mann, Red Lodge 93
Cory Golden, Billings 93
Jim Hill, Helena 93
Tracy Roy, Missoula 93
Tom Strizich, Kalispell 94
Bob Slaaven, Lincoln 94
Terry Evans, Deer Lodge 94
Brad Bechler, Whitefish 94
Greg Betthauser, Kalispell 95
Ken Baune, Great Falls 95
Brad Martens, Missoula 95
Wayne Gransbery, Columbus 95
Mark Menke, Missoula 96
Steven Peterson, Lewistown 96
Richard Hannah, Billings 96
Rick McClanahan, Lewistown 96
Mike Casey, Whitefish 97
Dean Sorensen, Harlowton 97
John Michelotti, Billings 97
Mike Henderson, Malta 97
Ed Dolezal, Great Falls 98
Larry Berg, Judith Gap 98
Dick Collins, Whitefish 98
John Tripp, Billings 98
Jim Davenport, Missoula 98
Johnathan Joseph, Whitefish 98
Dean Lingelbach, East Helena 99
Steve Corn, Florence 99
Gary Tucker, Missoula 101
Mike Hay, Helena 101
William Schilling, Havre 101
Mark Sherwood, Kalispell 103
Larry Greafe, Wolf Point 103
Ralph Beltrone, Great Falls 103
Brian Kopper, Missoula 104
Ken Smith, Dillon 106
Jeff Koski, Manhattan dq
Michael Dale, Billings wd
Marty Judnich, Missoula dq