Four tied for early lead in State Amateur event

Nathan Maas, a TPC Summerlin member, used home course knowledge to shoot 1-under 71 and shared the lead at the Nevada State Amateur after one round with 1992 champion Edward Fryatt, Alex Jordan and Wes Taylor.

Maas made five birdies, but those were offset by two bogeys and one double bogey.

“Being patient was the key to the round because I was 2-under par after nine holes, but then had a lost ball on my second shot on the 10th hole and made double bogey,” Maas said. “I knew at that point I had to stay patient and calm and try to get back under par. I know the best players in the world can stumble and have a bad hole, and they always recover, so I tried to have that same mindset.”

Maas, 20, moved to Las Vegas from Minnesota in January 2017 and works with TPC Summerlin teaching professional Mario Bevilacqua. Earlier this year, he unsuccessfully attempted to qualify for PGA Tour Canada as an amateur and plans to continue playing high-level amateur tournaments until he turns professional. He has only been playing golf for about six years and has limited tournament experience.

Two-time champion Brady Exber and Richard Pawlasek shot par 72 and are tied for fifth.

Stephen Osborne, a member of Reno Carson Golf Club, shot 73, the best round of any Northern Nevada competitor, and is tied for seventh with Hazen Newman, an Oklahoma State commit. Defending champion Daren Johnson shot 79 and is eight shots off the lead.

Freelance writer Brian Hurlburt is a two-time author who has covered golf in Las Vegas for more than two decades. He can be reached at bhurlburt5@gmail.com or @ Lvgolfinsider.