Pennson Badgett put himself in good position at the U.S. Amateur despite a shaky finish Monday afternoon at The Olympic Club in San Francisco.
The rising senior at East Surry High shot 1-over-par 71 on the Ocean Course, leaving him in a tie for 38th place out of 312 players in the field.
The top 64 players — ties will be broken in a playoff — after Tuesday’s second round of stroke play will advance to match play.
Badgett, who had an afternoon tee time Monday, will tee off at 8:55 a.m. PDT Tuesday on the Lake Course, the venue for the 2012 U.S. Open won by Webb Simpson.
Badgett, a University of Tennessee commit, was solid most of the day and rose to as high as a tie for third on the leaderboard at 2-under with birdies at Nos. 6 and 8 no bogeys through his first 14 holes.
But Badgett bogeyed 15, 16 and 18 to join 26 others at 1-under. Badgett parred every par-3 and par-5 on the Ocean Course.
The leaderboard was dominated by many of the top collegiate players.
England’s Charlie Forster, who just finished his career at Long Beach State, and University of Texas’ player Tommy Morrison tied for the first-round lead with 66 on Ocean. Auburn’s Logan Reilly and Oklahoma State’s Preston Stout, the two players tied for second at 3-under, also played Ocean.
Auburn standout Jackson Koivun, who tied for fifth in the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club, shot 68 at Ocean.
Vanderbilt’s Ryan Downes and Utah’s Davis Johnson led players at the Lakes, also par-70, with 68.
Jackson Spires of Apex, who qualified for the tournament by winning the N.C. Amateur at The Cardinal Golf Club, shot 77 at Ocean.