CHICAGO DISTRICT GOLF ASSOCIATION

"None."

Despite the admitted inexperience, the 20-year-old utilized a scintillating flat stick and momentum on the back nine to card a 6-under 64 in the opening round. He holds a one-shot lead over Josh Anderson (Saint Joseph) and is two ahead of Justin Schwab (Beach Park), with a formidable field close behind.

"I played in the [High School] State Championship at Weibring [Golf Club, in nearby Normal] twice, but other than that, I haven't been down here to play golf," stated Stewart, a rising junior at Western Kentucky University. "I like it. I typically like playing on tree-lined courses."

Competing in his first State Am, Stewart began his round like most newcomers - with a bit of nerves. Fighting a bit of waywardness off the tee early, he picked up his first red figure in the form of a birdie on par-4 second. The good mojo was counterbalanced just two holes later with a bogey on the par-4 fourth. Welcome to the Illinois State Amateur.

Stewart righted the ship, however, with a birdie on the uphill par-3 eighth, one of 12 to be carded on the hole by day's end. He turned at 1-under, still firmly amongst the obscurity of a packed leaderboard early on in a premier tournament. By the end of his back nine, though, that field was put on notice.

"Then I just started rolling some putts in," said Stewart. "I putted really well today. I love the greens. I was hitting good putts all day. I was just trying to keep it around the cup."

That strategy paid dividends, and then some. The slender Stewart fired birdies on Nos. 11 and 12. Then came the big move - an eagle on the 481-yard par-5 14th. With the help of "three really solid golf shots," Stewart carded one of just six eagles on the hole on Tuesday. He maintained that momentum gained, with two more birdies on Nos. 15 and 16. Despite a bogey on the last, he entered the clubhouse with an early lead that withstood the afternoon wave.

"I just started hitting it closer," said Stewart of his back-nine charge. "I started to play a little bit better. No. 14 was probably a highlight...just tried to keep it going. Keep the nerves out of it and just play."

Sitting just one back of Stewart, the aforementioned Anderson's start in the afternoon was fast and furious, as his approach shot on the 389-yard par-4 second jarred the cup for an eagle, leaving some cleanup in its wake. The 39-year-old St. Bonaventure Athletics Hall of Fame inductee had just one hiccup on his way in, a bogey on No. 14, to position himself within reach to chase Stewart.

"I did not look at a leaderboard all day long - just keep hitting greens, you're putting really well and you're going to score well," said Anderson of his thought process. "Go one shot at a time is what I try to do and I'll see where we end up at the end of the day."

Following the completion of the first round, 17 players sit in red figures, including defending champion Mac McClear (Hinsdale), who carded a 1-under 69. The entire field will return to Bloomington for Wednesday's second round. A cut will then be made to the low 35 and ties, with those players returning for Thursday's 36-hole finale. Tee times begin at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

Quotes of Note

Josh Anderson (Saint Joseph) on his eagle on No. 2..."I'd be lying if I said I was going at that flag. I had 135 yards out of the first cut on the left side there and I aimed at a window in the building behind the green and tugged it, caught a flier, and it dunked the pin."

Mac McClear (Hinsdale) on his opening round 69.."It wasn't my best stuff today. I made a couple of unnecessary bogeys out there, but for the most part I hit it pretty good, rolled in a couple putts. It could have been worse, so I'll take it."

Thomas Baker (Rockford) on his final-hole birdie to cement a 2-under 68..."That was great. I was walking up and telling my dad, 'It would be great to end on a good note.' I had just made a couple bogeys coming in and it felt good to roll in a putt on the last."

Dylan Drogemuller (Frankfort) on his ace on the 170-yard par-3 eighth..."It was the eighth hole and it was uphill, probably three or four yards, into the wind a little. I just took a little cut-7-iron and it just one-hopped in...The ballmark was right in front of the hole and I went up there and it was in. It was my first one, too, so it was awesome."

Mason Minkel (Pekin) on carrying on his father's (Curtis Minkel, 2002 Illinois State Mid-Amateur winner) legacy.."It's amazing, honestly. He was actually here today watching, he's just kind of a little bit jealous that he wasn't playing, but he enjoys it too."

T.J. Barger (Bloomington) on playing on his home course..."It's great that I know my way around the course and it was also great having a lot of my friends come out to support me. I know everybody at this club, so the support out here is pretty nice."

Mike Milligan (Bloomington) on his 79 at 70 years old, 49 years after winning the State Am in 1974..."They moved No. 9 up to a par 4 and I needed a par, I haven't parred that all year from those tees. I needed that to shoot my 79, which was beyond a dream goal for me from these tees, with these kids, you know, after my cancer when I didn't even know if I would play again, and I was able to get out here. I've been working all year to try to gain some length. I'm 100 yards behind these kids, but it was a treat to play with these youngsters and for me to shoot 79, which I needed that five-footer on the last hole, was just...I just think of myself in that chemo bed, and to come to here was so rewarding and I'm just so blessed."

Marcus Smith (Rockford) on his mindset heading into Round 2..."I'll take that there's going to be opportunities out there, just stay below the hole because if you even hit an uphill putt too hard and have a downhill slider, it's lowkey scary, so just have to stay below the hole as much as I can."

Notables

• The scoring average for the first round Tuesday at Bloomington was 74.96. By comparison, the first-round scoring average in 2022 at Westmoreland Country Club was 77.70 and in 2018 at Bloomington was 74.97.
• The field carded nine eagles on the day. Six of them came on the 481-yard par-5 14th, which played as the easiest hole of the day with a scoring average of 4.54.
• The most difficult hole of the day was the 435-yard par-4 seventh, on which the field averaged 4.60 strokes.
• The seven Bloomington Country Club members competing averaged a score of 74.0. T.J. Barger (Bloomington) was the lone to card a red number, shooting a 1-under 69.
• Robert Beaubien, Jr. (Barrington), who won the 103rd CDGA Amateur Championship in June at Lake Shore Country Club, opened with a 7-over 77.
• Will Stewart's (Lake in the Hills) 64 is one stroke below the lowest round carded in the 2018 Illinois State Amateur Championship at Bloomington Country Club, which was a 65 by Jordan Harre.
• Four mid-amateur (age 25 and up) players sit in the top-10 after the first round - Josh Anderson (Saint Joseph), Justin Schwab (Beach Park), Michael Mounce (El Paso) and Mike Henry (Bloomington). By comparison, only one mid-am was in the top-10 following the first round at Westmoreland in 2022 - Jake Erickson (Chatham).