Beau Hossler

At Omni La Costa Resort & Spa, Beau Hossler, Trevor Clayton, Ryan Knop, Will Brueckner, Matt Hansen, and Jason Anthony all shot 3-under 69 to lead all scorers on the first day of action at the wildly competitive state amateur.

Hossler, who made national headlines in 2012 by qualifying for the U.S. Open as a high school junior, birdied five of his first 10 holes before a double-bogey on the par-3 11th. The hot start, though, helped him maintain and finish Round 1 with a share of the lead.

For Clayton, it was even more of a roller coaster. The Cal State Stanislaus golfer withstood four bogeys on his first 10 holes before making birdies on four of his last seven to finish at 3-under. All told, he sunk seven birdies on the day.

Knop, of Pleasanton, Calif., shot a 69 at the Champions Course by way of five birdies and two bogeys. He has committed to play for UC Davis starting in the fall of 2015.

Brueckner, of Walnut Creek, Calif., made four birdies in a six hole stretch on the Legends Course today, but dropped a shot coming in, making bogey on the 18th to shoot 69. Brueckner will join the Gonzaga team in the fall.

Matt Hansen, of Los Osos, Calif., made four birdies on his first ten holes, and bogeyed the 18th hole to post 69 at the Legends Course. The hole played to a 4.636 average, more than a half stroke over par, and only one birdie was made there all day.

Anthony, meanwhile, made a four on the par-5 18th to get to 3-under and in the first-place tie.

Kethan Reddy and Justin Suh are tied for seventh while a group of seven sits at 1-under and in a ninth-place tie.

Reigning champion Cory McElyea shot even par 72 and is tied for 16th entering the second round of stroke-play qualifying.

The Northern California Golf Association and Southern California Golf Association both fielded teams for a North/South Challenge during the stroke play portion of the event. The format calls for six players from each side with the best five scores being counted on each team. The SCGA currently leads the NCGA after day one, 359-362.

The Champions Course, which will host the match play portion of the event, played tougher than the Legends Course today. The average score at the Champions was 76.77, while those who played the Legends averaged 75.9.

There will be a cut to the low 32 after the end of play tomorrow, with a playoff if necessary to settle the match play bracket. There are currently 43 players at one-over or better.

For a full look at Round 1 scores, please follow the results link below.