Johnston shoots 78 at U.S. Am Championship golf tournament

by The Daily Inter Lake
| August 17, 2015 11:24 PM

OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. — Ryggs Johnston of Libby shot an 8-over-par 78 on the first day of play at the U.S. Amateur Championship golf tournament at Olympia Fields Country Club on Monday.

Johnston carded a 39 on both nines of the North Course (yardage: 7,234; par: 36-34—70).

He started on the back nine, where he had five bogeys. On the front side, he birdied the par 4 second hole, but had a bogey on the fifth and a triple bogey on the par 3 seventh hole.

Matt NeSmith of North Augusta, South Carolina, shot a 5-under 65 to top the leader board.

Ryan Ruffels of Australia, Nathan Yankovich of Blacklick, Ohio, Lee McCoy of Athens, Georgia, and Kenta Konishi of Japan are all one shot back.

Johnston, one of the youngest players in the field at age 15, tees it up today at 12:40 p.m. MDT on the first hole of the South Course (yardage: 7,045; par: 35-35—70). He is paired again with Kyle de Silva (40-33—73) of Orange, California, and Ireland’s Gary Hurley (36-36—72).