Estes, Gylan get familiar with Tournament of Champions first-round lead

Jim Estes and Jaime Gylan were in no way familiar with Beaver Creek Country Club. Maybe that unfamiliarity was a good thing.

Estes and Gylan each fired 4-under-par 68s on Monday for the first-round lead in the Middle Atlantic PGA Tournament of Champions.


They’ll go back at it together in their final round this morning at 10, knowing just a little more about the Beaver Creek layout that played to a tough 6,912 yards.

Local host and favorite Dirk Schultz never really got started on Monday and ended back in the field with an 4-over 76. Black Rock pro Tim Reeves settled for a 77.

Estes, a 47-year-old from Germantown, Md., playing out of Olney Park Golf Club, came in with a 3-under 33 on the front and finished off with a 35, just three groups after Gylan had posted his 68, which included a torrid 4-under 32 on the front nine.

“Not since I was a kid did I play here and I didn’t remember anything about it,” said Estes. “I’m a little surprised. I never have expectations.”

Estes knocked down six birdies overall — four birdies on the front and two on the back.

“I had good irons in. You need to because these are smallish greens,” said Estes.

Gylan, a 32-year-old pro from Raspberry Falls Golf Club in Leesburg, Va., thought he could have gotten more out of his score.

“I left some makeable putts out there, some six-, eight-footers,” said Gylan. “I got the early birdies and that gave me momentum.”

Gylan birdied holes 3,4, 7 and 9. He took a step back with two bogeys on the back nine, but got his charge back with an eagle-3 on the par-5 15th hole.

“You just try to pick out your line and execute your golf shot,” Gylan said of his approach to playing Beaver Creek for the first time.

Jody Rokisky, Rick Schuller and Patrick Hawkins were bunched in a tie for third place with 2-under-par 70. Phil Bowers and Billy Hoffman each shot 71 and Chad Moseley had a 72.

Rokisky, professional at Holly Hills Country Club in Ijamsville, Md., will be in the final group with Estes and Gaylan.

“Very happy,” Rokisky said, summing up his round. “I haven’t played but two rounds competitively since mid-August, so I had no expectations. I had a solid round.”

Schultz, meanwhile, couldn’t get untracked from the start.

After a par to begin, Schultz had three straight bogeys and never recovered.

“No rhythm, no timing,” he said. “The driver was good, but I just couldn’t get the feel for the irons and putter. Just gotta come out (Tuesday) with a 63.”

Uncharacteristic of Schultz, he bogeyed each of the par 3s.