HUNTINGTON -- Robert C. Byrd is on the verge of unprecedented golf success.
Buoyed by strong outings from their top two players, the Eagles own a one-shot lead after the first-round of the Class AAA state high school golf tournament at Guyan Golf and Country Club.
Adam Dyer, Robert C. Byrd's No. 1 player, leads the individual race by three strokes over Huntington's Fred Tweel and Hurricane's Drew Whitten. Dyer's teammate, Travis Cottrill, is in a share for fourth with Jeff Redman at 78. Their's were the only four Class AAA scores to break 80 on a challenging day.
Lewis County's Chris Straley, who qualified as an individual, shot an 87.
A first-round 323 gave the Eagles a slim edge over Cabell Midland (324) and University (328) entering today's final round.
Robert C. Byrd never has won a team or individual state golf championship.
In the Class AA-A chase, Bridgeport is in sixth place in the eight-team field following an opening round 359. Charleston Catholic leads at 322, followed by Wheeling Central (328), Williamstown (328), Wyoming East (337) and Winfield (344).
"The course is very tight and we played from the back tees today," said Dyer, who had one birdie and four bogeys. "The greens were pretty fast, too. It's not Pete Dye (Golf Club) in length. It's not exceptionally long."
Robert C. Byrd coach Rockey Zannino certainly seems to be in the catbird's seat. Not only does his team hold a first-round lead, there also are definite areas where his team can improve, Zannino said.
"I'm very surprised with these scores that we're leading," Zannino said. "Cabell Midland and University are very competitive. Those two teams have the best chance to win along with us.
"But I'm ecstatic with the way we're playing. It's really exciting and hopefully we can keep this thing going."
The key for Dyer was avoiding big numbers. He bogeyed his first hole, but immediately came back with a birdie and then played consistent golf over the final 16 holes.
"If you get off to a bad start with a double or triple (bogey), it's tough to recover," Dyer said. "I started with a bogey and that wasn't great, but I was still never in danger of a big number.
"I kept the ball in play and it was good enough."
Conditions could prove difficult for competitors to catch both Robert C. Byrd and Dyer. Rain is expected, which could slow down an already tough course.
"It would be nice to get a little rain," Dyer said. "That way I can just keep the ball in play, stay around par and let the other guys chase me. It would be good for the team, too. They play well in bad elements."
