If Friday's first round of the Firecracker Open is any indication, Sam Houston State University should expect good things next season.
Miles Hindsman, an Anderson High School graduate who is headed for Sam Houston in the fall, blistered Lions Municipal with a 7-under 64 Friday. Lee Broussard, a Leander graduate who is also headed to Sam Houston, where he will be a roommate of Hindsman, fired a 6-under 65 to take second place in the city's traditional Fourth of July tournament.
A five-way tie for third at 4-under 67 included six-time Firecracker champion Billy Clagett. Clagett challenges himself in every round to see how many 3s he can post, and he thinks he may have set a personal record Friday with 10.
The logjam at 67 also includes two St. Edward's players — Matthew Henson from McCallum and Matt Smith from Anderson — plus former Bowie High player Johnny Ormand and Scott Roudebush, an Austin High graduate who will be a junior at Texas Christian in the fall.
Brenden Redfern, 15, the defending champion, shot a 3-under 68 and was tied with Hagen Fell.
Two past winners, Steven Bright (2002) and Robby Ormand (2005 and 2006), were tied at 69 with Jaime Kellam, winner of the 2007 Central Texas Amateur.
Nineteen players in the field of 140 broke par Friday, and Hindsman has 18 players within six shots of his lead as the second round begins today.
"I had just one bogey all day and hit 17 greens in regulation,"
Hindsman said, "so that's a pretty good way to score well. This is my first Firecracker, and I was not sure what to expect, but obviously it was a good day."
