Fulton native Justin Lower sits one shot off the lead after the morning wave in the first round of the 2018 DAP Championship presented by NewBrick at Canterbury Golf Club.
Lower posted a 3-under par round of 67 that included five birdies against two bogeys. Longish birdie putts on the par-3 11th and par-4 12th followed by a wedge shot stuffed to a foot on the winding par-5 16th built momentum for Lower. That momentum was saved with solid up-and-downs for par on the tough 17th and 18th holes, both playing back into the wind. Round recap video >
2018 DAP Championship Leaderboard >
Given that Lower is the only local-born player in the DAP Championship field — and the fact that he is playing with nine-time TOUR winner Stuart Appleby — earned him a nice following of spectators, especially given the early Thursday starting time. A larger crowd of friends, family and fans is expected for tomorrow’s Friday afternoon second round, as it’s a perfect reason to cut out of work early and go watch an NEOH player try to earn his PGA TOUR card. Ticket deal here >
Earlier in the week, Lower was invited to Progressive Field to watch Cleveland Indians batting practice and throw out the game’s first pitch, a cool honor for a lifelong Cleveland sports fan.
Former Kent State players Ryan Yip shot a 1-under par 69, while Corey Conners posted a 3-over par 73.
