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Riverton • By any measure, Maple Mountain's Kai Ruiz has enjoyed a fantastic high school golf career. But, after finishing third as a freshman and second the past two years in the Class 4A state golf tournament, he wants more.
That's why his 67 Monday at Riverbend was so important to him. His round that included six birdies on a beautiful fall afternoon put him on top of the first day leaderboard.
"I am here to get a win," he said, adding that "it was a good round. I didn't make a lot of mistakes. I made one mistake and it got me a bogey…The course was a little shorter than normal, but it was good as to what kind of game I play. I was good with woods and could go for some of the par four greens."
Of course, one round doesn't make a win. And Ruiz had plenty of challengers for individual honors right behind him.
Bonneville's Kaige Schuler shot a 68 while Orem's Brock Stanger and East's Hayden Banz had 69s, and Skyline's Blake Tomlinson, Corner Canyon's Rhett Rasmussen, and Timpview's Jackson Rawle and John Lillywhite had 70s to stay within striking distance.
In the 4A team competition, defending champion Timpview and Bonneville tied for first at 286 followed by Maple Mountain at 298, Timpanogos at 299 and East at 300.
Under the PGA format, the top 10 teams and ties make the fairest day cut. Any individual with a 79 or better advances to the second round.
Class 5A Golf: West's Marshall Harris fired a blistering 65 Monday at Glen Eagle in Syracuse but it wasn't good enough to get the Panthers' team into the second round.
Weber's Connor Howe and Fremont's Dylan Chugg fired first-day 67s to stay very much in contention for individual honors. Max Brenchley's 68 led defending champion Lone Peak into the team lead by five shots over Davis with Syracuse in third and Brighton in fourth.
Other individuals to fire 68 included Syracuse's Trey Higgins and Brighton's David Timmons.
The 5A championship will also be decided Tuesday at Glen Eagle.
— Tom Wharton