Utah State Amateur: Dan Horner corners role as the man to beat

HIGHLAND — Even though 2009 champion Zac Blair isn't playing this year, 2008 Utah State Amateur champion Dan Horner doesn't view himself as the reigning champion of the annual tournament.

However, after his opening-round, 8-under-par 64 Wednesday at Alpine Country Club, Horner looks like a champion and the man to beat at this year's State Am, which runs through Sunday.

Horner had a near-perfect round, hitting 17 of 18 greens in regulation, just missing No. 18 by a couple of feet, and needing only 28 putts on Alpine's fast and smooth greens for a round that tied the competitive course record.

The 32-year-old New Jersey native has a three-shot lead over Robert McRae and Keaton Woodland going into the second round of medal play at the 112-year-old tournament. With Blair opting not to compete because he's playing in the U.S. Public Links next week, the winner of medal play will get the No. 1 seeding for Friday's match play that usually goes to the defending champion.

"Solid" was the word Horner used to describe his round.

"I've been playing well all year," he said. "I'm clicking at the right time. I played consistent today."

He made his only error of the day early, at the par-5 No. 2 when he failed to notice a pine tree poking out just 25 yards from the tee on the right. Horner, who hits a draw, hit his drive directly into the tree, where it dropped straight down. However, he recovered nicely, hitting a hybrid into the fairway and a 6-iron onto the green, where he sank an 8-footer for birdie.

Horner birdied again at No. 4, then ran off four straight birds, including a 50-footer at No. 8, to make the turn at 30.

On the back, he made his only bogey at No. 12 when he three-putted but made birdies at Nos. 14, 16 and 17 for his 64.

McRae, who just completed his collegiate career at Saint Mary's, and Woodland, a 21-year-old who plays out of The Barn in North Ogden, both shot 67s.

McRae had the best score of the afternoon when conditions were only slightly worse than in the morning. He said the greens were fine and the wind didn't kick up until late in his round. The 22-year-old from Park City only missed two greens, and his birdies were all short putts until he drained an 18-footer from the fringe at No. 9, his final hole.

Alone at 69 is Joe Parkinson, an 18-year-old who graduated from Lone Peak High School last month. He got into the tournament as an alternate who got into the tournament by showing up early Wednesday morning.