Patrick Duncan carded an opening-round 63 at the Santa Barbara City Golf Championship on Saturday, capturing a two-stroke advantage going into Sunday’s second round at Santa Barbara Golf Club.
Andrew Perez recorded the day’s next best round at five-under 65.
Fourteen golfers were under par in the championship flight, which teed off with a shotgun at 1:30 on the hottest day Santa Barbara has seen in a while.
“The heat’s good. It keeps me loose, keeps me swinging good,” said former champion Brandon Gama, who recorded a 69.
Another former champion, Kevin Marsh, got off to a solid start by matching Gama’s one-under 69. Marsh, a Dos Pueblos graduate, won back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2005.
Defending champion Jeff Wilson is five strokes behind Duncan after a first-round 68.
The Championship Flight will have a much earlier start on Sunday, beginning at 7:30 a.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT LEADERBOARD
1. P. Duncan, 63
2. A. Perez, 65
3T. G. Sanders, 66
3T. A. Kang, 66
3T. L. Garcia, 66
6T. J. Wilson, 68
6T. M. Cohen, 68
6T. C. Tennant, 68
6T. M. Free, 68
10T. K. Marsh, 69
10T. B. Gama, 69
10T. Z. Hulvey, 69
10T. G. Downing, 69
10T. M. Siporin, 69
