Stricker, Kelly and Kendall are close to the lead after the first round of the AmFam Championship

Lina Portman4 weeks ago

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MADISON – Steve Stricker was defending, Jerry Kelly was fighting and Skip Kendall was connecting – and the trio of Wisconsinites finished the first round of the American Family Insurance Championship in an 18-man stack within two shots of first-round co-leaders Glen Day and Boo Weekley, who finished Friday's round at University Ridge Golf Course in Madison with a 4-under 68.

“I would have thought 6-under would be leading right on the way, like some of the holes were,” Weekley said.

Stricker, the tournament host and defending champion, felt he hit the ball well enough to get to 5 or 6 under, but failed to make enough putts before finishing with a score of 69 at 3 cents.

“It was a challenge,” Stricker said. “I mean, the wind was gusting, the greens were super fast, the ball was moving once you put it in, you know, the wind would take it. That was probably the hardest part: getting a good feel for the greens. Some of them really could have escaped you and one did it on me, notably on the 17th. I managed to come back. You really had to be careful not to just run 8 to 10 feet on some of those downwind putts.

Stricker was joined at 3 under by Kelly, who strung together five consecutive birdies on the back nine to claim a share of the lead at one point, but admitted to doing it with “smoke and mirrors” then that he continues to play while undergoing treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.

“I didn’t feel like my body was responding very well,” Kelly said. “I know I'm nervous, but it's ridiculous, a little explosion with every shot, no matter if it's a driver or a putt. So, you know, I fought and saw if I could get a few low blows out of it, who knows.

Fox Point native Kendall, who now teaches primarily at the Orlando Golf Academy in Florida, also briefly touched the lead at 4 under before finishing with a 2-under 70. Playing on a sponsor's exemption, the championship AmFam is his first departure. on the PGA Tour Champions in 2024 and just his second competitive tournament of the year.

“I'm going to take it one shot at a time,” said Kendall, who is opening a new academy at Hammock Beach in Palm Coast, Fla. and helping design wedges for Sub 70 golf. “It's the old cliché. I didn't come here with super high expectations, but that being said, like I told Nate, hey, if a few putts fail, I can still play. If it remains this difficult, I don't know if the score will really be very low. You know, just stand and see what happens.

More:Ángel Cabrera competes in his first American tournament at the AmFam Championship after serving a prison sentence

While Kendall is totally at ease, Kelly tries to find some peace. He said he tries to save energy by not getting too excited on the course, but also tries not to get too depressed when things don't go well.

He ultimately admitted he was happy to finish the first round at 3 under, but that didn't change his outlook for the weekend as he attempts to become a three-time tournament champion.

“I mean, I told you I’d love to compete,” Kelly said. “I feel like if I can get my body to react to what I'm thinking, I mean, I can still think on a golf course and play well. But these are the reactions, I have a hard time understanding where they come from, but I just don't know.

More:Madison's Jerry Kelly on playing golf with rheumatoid arthritis: 'I'm not going to stop. »

Stricker, on the other hand, just needed to smooth out his putter – which could bode ill for his fellow competitors. One of the best putters of his generation, Stricker seemed to figure out some equipment issues that affected his game during the first part of the year.

“It's nice to be introduced as the defending champion. I'm just trying to get back there, try to get back to that position next Sunday,” he said. “And hopefully I have to tune up this putter, that’s the main thing. I did well enough today to shoot 5 or 6 under and coming away with 3 is a little disappointing. So I have to put it in the hole a little faster.

Windy conditions and fast greens didn't allow any player to escape in the first round. Ten other players, including University of Wisconsin alumnus Mario Tiziani, are three shots off the lead at 1 under par.

Lina Portman

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