SALT LAKE CITY — The Morgan Trojans felt right at home at Round Valley Golf Course in Morgan on Wednesday during the opening day of the 3A state tournament.
In their bid at a state title three-peat, the Trojans fired a 302 team score to open up a seven-stroke lead over second-place Delta and then a 13-stroke lead over third-place Judge Memorial.
The opening day 302 is a 15-stroke improvement upon Morgan’s first day total in Roosevelt last year where it won its second straight title.
Leading the way for the Trojans were Brenden Vaughan and Tanner Telford, who tied with Judge’s Nico Smith for third place after shooting 73s.
Morgan’s Nathan Millburn sits in eighth with a 76.
Telford was the runaway medalist as a sophomore, and he’s got some work to do in his bid to repeat.
Carbon’s Bode Salas and Delta’s Jake Henrie are tied for first after each shooting 3-under 69s on Wednesday.
Salas had the low average coming into the tournament and had a solid round with five birdies and one eagle, but he also did have four bogeys. Three of those bogeys were the result of three putts from long distances.
He’ll hope to lag better in Thursday’s final day to try and claim 3A medalist honors.
“My game plan is do the same thing, give myself a lot of birdie putts and take advantage of those birdie putts,” said Salas. “I’m not trying to put myself against other people, I’m just going to play my game and do one shot at a time.”
Henrie finished with five birdies and two bogeys en route to his 69, putting himself in a great position to try and improve on last year’s sixth-place finish at state.
3A State Tournament
At Round Valley Golf Course
Team scores
1. Morgan, 302; 2. Delta, 309; 3. Judge Memorial, 315; 4. Richfield, 322; 5. Grantsville, 326; 6. Grand, 332; 7. Carbon, 333; 8. Union, 335.
Individual results
69 — Bode Salas, Carbon; Jake Henrie, Delta
73 — Brenden Vaughan, Morgan; Tanner Telford, Morgan; Nico Smith, Judge Memorial
75 — Trevin Wakefield, Emery; Jaygen Mullen, Richfield
76 — Nathan Millburn, Morgan
77 — Walker Carroll, Delta; Carson Thornock, South Sevier
78 — Wyatt Toney, Grand; Grayson McKeever, Grantsville
79 — Rafe Saunders, Grand; Gage Brower, Richfield; Wayland Crane, Delta; Tai Zobell, Union; Nicholas Falkner, Judge Memorial