Two teams tied for lead after Day 1 at PGA Senior-Junior Championship

 

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – The teams of Ed Kirby-Robert Tramonti of Rhode Island and Tim Graves-Shannon Friday of Oklahoma shot 8-under 64s Monday and are tied for the first-round lead in the PGA Senior-Junior Championship at PGA Golf Club.

 

Kirby and Graves each contributed five birdies in the best-ball format to help their teams rise to the top of the leaderboard in the 72-hole event. The duo of Kirby-Tramonti played on the Dye Course, while the Graves-Friday duo played the Ryder Course.

 

MORE: Full scoring from the PGA Senior-Junior Championship

 

Despite making two bogeys, the team of Darrell Kestner-Ben Polland, who work at Deepdale Golf Club in Manhasset, N.Y., are tied for third place after a 65.

 

“We made a couple of bad bogeys when I was out of the hole,” said Polland, who was runner-up in the PGA Professional Championship last summer. “But we played well. We enjoy playing together, but it’s fun to do it in competition away from Deepdale. We are both intense competitors and we want to win.”

 

They are joined at 65 by seven teams: J.C. Anderson-Rod Perry, Bob Darling-Jeffrey Martin, Craig Stevens-Brett Melton, John Bermel-Nate Lubs, James Mason-Tim Weinhart and Denny Dolci-Kevin Shields. 

 

Defending champions Lee Rinker and Colin Amaral are three shots back after a 67.

 

The PGA Winter Championships are presented by Premier Golf and Golf Advisor.