Rain adds bite to course

While summer may have taken the day off Tuesday, the Missouri Stroke Play Championship at Dalhousie Golf Club did not.

In addition to battling a difficult layout, a field of 159 golfers had to shield themselves from atypical July conditions as they contended with a daylong rain and temperatures that hovered in the mid-60s on the first day of the three-day tournament.

At the conclusion of the rain-soaked day, Joe Ida of Fort Scott, Kan., held a two-shot lead over Dalton Owens of Mount Vernon, Mo., and Matt Miller of Eldon, Mo.

Play was slowed but never stopped by a rain that started around noon and never backed off.

Play eventually was halted due to darkness at 7:50 p.m. with 20 players still on the course. Play will resume at 8:30 a.m. today, with players beginning their second round on Nos. 1 and 10, and players completing their first round where they left off. The field will be cut to the top 50 scores and ties after today's round, with the final 36 holes to be played Thursday.

ABOVE: Spectators with umbrellas line a green Tuesday during the Missouri Amateur Stroke Play Championship at Dalhousie Golf Club.

"This is a tough golf course, and when it starts raining things really slow down," Missouri Golf Association tournament director Bill Fricke Jr. said mid-afternoon Tuesday.

Fricke said the course was well-constructed and he didn't anticipate water on the course becoming an issue, but acknowledged, "It's coming down steady, and it's no fun to be out in."

Ida, who plays golf at Kansas State, was in the fifth group off No. 10 in the morning and made the most of his early tee time. He teed off at 8:37 a.m. and finished his final holes in the rain. Owens and Miller, the only other players to finish under par, also teed off in the first hour of play.

"Very few finished without getting wet," Fricke said.

Alex Reid, a recent graduate of Jackson High School and one of three Jackson residents in the field, was in the day's final group that teed off after 3 p.m., some 35 minutes after his scheduled tee time.

LEFT: Kent Phillips putts on the 11th green Tuesday during the Missouri Amateur Stroke Play Championship. (KIT DOYLE ~ kdoyle@semissourian.com)

"This is the first tournament I've actually played in these kind of conditions," Reid said. "I've played in the rain before, but I normally quit after a few holes when it's this bad. But you can't really go in on this one."

Reid got a sample of what lied ahead on the practice range before his round.

"I actually lost a club on the range," Reid said with a laugh as he waited for the group ahead of him to clear the green at the par 3 No. 5 hole. "As soon as it started pouring down, I actually lost my 8-iron out there. So I went and had to stop the range for a second. It's pretty ridiculous out here."

Reid tipped his waterlogged cap to the course conditions, noting the greens still were rolling good.

Staying dry was his duty, and he appeared to be losing on that front. Unlike most players, he was not wearing rain gear and had no umbrella. But his lesson on the range still was fresh.

Todd Obergoenner hits an iron shot on the third fairway Tuesday.

"Keep the clubs dry and keep your hands as dry as you possibly can. That's all you can do," Reid said. "Everything has to stay dry, and take a little extra club, of course. And try to make as many pars as you can because you're not going to lose too much ground if you keep making pars."

Todd Obergoenner, a 2004 Central graduate and one of six Cape Girardeau golfers in the field, also was concentrating on his grip and staying dry. Among his rain apparel was a rain glove for each hand.

"The wetter they get, the better they are," Obergoenner said of his gloves.

After his round he had a firm grip on a 2-over-par 74 that had him tied for sixth. He had the lowest score among players that teed off in the afternoon.

"All things considered, I'll take it," Obergoenner said. "I left a few shots out there, but considering the rain, I'm happy."

Obergoenner hit into the hazard three times, but countered with four birdies.

"It was a little frustrating, but I held it together pretty well," he said.

Obergoenner, who recently ended his college golf career at SIU-Carbondale, finished in the top 16 at the U.S. Amateur Public Links tournament last week in Norman, Okla. He reached the third round of match play, where he lost to No. 1 seed Nick Taylor.

"I'm playing well," Obergoenner said. "I'm hitting well and putting well. Hopefully the next two days we don't have weather like this. I need to make a little comeback, and hopefully the conditions will be better for a few more birdies."

Blake Driskell of Cape Girardeau, a teammate of Obergoenner's at SIU, was tied for ninth a stroke behind at 75. Bob Englehart of Jackson was tied for 13th at 76.