SUNRISE GOLF: Coronado’s Keyer rides roller coaster to opening-round lead

NIPTON, Calif. — There is a thrill ride located a few miles up the interstate from the Primm Valley Golf Course. Coronado boys golfer Bradley Keyer felt like he was on it Monday.

Keyer was the only player from the Division I Sunrise Region to break par on the Lakes Course, making six birdies en route to a 2-under 69 that gave him a two-shot lead after the first day. Michael Kirby of Coronado and Foothill’s Andrew Chu are tied for second at 71.

The tournament concludes Tuesday at Wildhorse Golf Club.

“It was a roller coaster,” Keyer said. “I actually made a lot of putts. My ball striking was fine off the tee. My approach shots were not as good, but I was able to get the ball in the hole, which is the whole point of the game. I did that actually very well.”

Keyer opened his topsy-turvy round with a bogey on the first hole followed by birdies on the next three holes. He made the turn at 2-under and was 3-under through 17 before he left a 15-foot par putt on No. 18 inches short of the hole.

Keyer’s putter was the key throughout the round. He two-putted for par on the par-4 15th hole and parred the 170-yard 17th hole after his tee shot landed on the lower tier of the green, about 45 feet away.

“It was crucial to get two putts on both of those and keep the round going,” Keyer said. “I think I hit 16 greens in regulation today, so I had plenty of opportunities to use my putter, which was my friend today.”

Chu, who finished second at the region tournament last season, was at 3-under and bogey-free following a birdie on the par-14 13th hole. But he ran into trouble on No. 14.

Chu’s tee shot stopped on the cart path to the right of the green, and rather than take a drop in the dirt to his right, Chu opted to play his second shot off the cement.

Chu punched a low 7-iron that looked like it was headed for the green, but the ball kicked left off a hill and hit a rake near a greenside bunker, stopping before it went into the trap. That left Chu an awkward stance, and his third shot rolled off the back of the green, leading to a double bogey 6.

“It was a clean lie on the cart path and I thought it was an easier shot,” Chu said. “It kind of affected me mentally a little bit, but I still tried to grind it out and not let one hole bother me.”

Chu bogeyed No. 16 and then stuck his tee shot within 6 feet on the par-3 17th, leading to a birdie. But his par putt on No. 18 lipped out to leave him at even par for the round.

Michael Alvarez shot 74 for Coronado, which finished at 372 as a team. Foothill is second at 393, followed by Green Valley (412).

The top two teams and the top five individuals from nonqualifying teams advance to the Division I state tournament on May 21 and 22 at Mountain Falls Golf Club in Pahrump.