Gusty winds and slow greens characterized the opening round of this year’s Odessa Men’s City Championship at Ratliff Ranch Golf Links.
A classic West Texas test was presented to the golfers Friday with wind gusted up to 20 mph.
Fortunately for the players, the greens were slow and receptive after the aggressive reseeding that took place over the past few weeks on the course.
First-round leader Davis Seybert was pleased with the condition of the course, given the circumstances, after his opening round 7-under-par 65.
“I thought the course was in great shape,” said the incoming Midland College sophomore.
“The tee boxes and the fairways were good and didn’t have many bad areas. The greens were hairy and slow, but they rolled true. The speed doesn’t bother me as much. If I hit a good putt and it stays on line that’s all I really care about.”
“With that being said, I thought they rolled pretty good, especially considering that I’d heard they weren’t in the greatest shape.”
Seybert came in with high expectations for himself, and certainly didn’t disappoint.
“I came here with expectations to play a good round. I love the golf course. I went out there and eagled two (No. 2), so I was pretty confident.”
“I made some mistakes, but birdied four and five. Rolled a long one in on six and my round just took off from there.”
The highlight of the leader’s round came on 15.
After missing the green from short-range on the par-4, Seybert holed his chip from the fringe, sparking a run of three birdies over his last four holes.
“That was kind of a revenge play, because on number three I did the same thing and it bounced out.”
“That was the goodwill of the golf gods there.”
One defining characteristic of Seybert’s game is his lightning-quick pace of play.
He rarely takes longer than a few seconds after setting up to hit a shot, regardless of whether he’s bombing a drive down the fairway or lining up a putt for birdie.
“Every time I try to hit a golf shot, it’s about making quick decisions,” Seybert said. “Quick, decisive and aggressive decisions.
“If I sit there and really think about a shot, think about every little thing, I’m not gonna hit a good shot. It’s about stepping up there and making a committed choice. Me being fast is just an example of me making aggressive decisions, which I think helps me in the long run.”
As he heads into the weekend, Seybert looks to have fun as he seeks his first Odessa Men’s City Championship title.
“Just play golf, it’s meant to be fun,” he said. “I had a lot of fun today. If I could have two more rounds like this, I think I’ll be in a good position on Sunday.”
In order to capture that first title, he’ll have to hold off back-to-back defending champion Parker Beaty, who sits just a shot behind the lead after an opening round 66.
Barring a historic round, the championship flight looks to already be a two-horse race.
Beaty and Seybert are both at least six shots clear of the field.
The pair will begin their second round at 8:42 A.M. with Michael Hodges, who sits at even-par.
In the senior flight, Mark Jones and Richard Ashton are tied after opening-round 71s.
In the super senior flight, Skeet Glover leads after a three-over 75.
Follow Nicholas Pursley on Twitter @nicholaspursley
