Grisette flirts with course record in Carolinas Amateur

Uly Grisette shot a bogey-free 63 Wednesday at the Country Club of Charleston to lead the first day of stroke-play qualifying for the 95th Carolinas Golf Association Amateur Championship.

Grisette finished two shots in front of Country Club of Charleston member Bert Atkinson and Michael Cromie of Cary, N.C., the North Carolina High School Class AAAA champion.

Former Carolinas Amateur champion Brandon Hiott of Islandton, Josh Gallman of Gaffney and Robert Godfrey of Seneca are tied for fourth at 67.

Grisette, who works in sales

Uly Grisette shot a bogey-free 63 Wednesday at the Country Club of Charleston to lead the first day of stroke-play qualifying for the 95th Carolinas Golf Association Amateur Championship.

Grisette finished two shots in front of Country Club of Charleston member Bert Atkinson and Michael Cromie of Cary, N.C., the North Carolina High School Class AAAA champion.

Former Carolinas Amateur champion Brandon Hiott of Islandton, Josh Gallman of Gaffney and Robert Godfrey of Seneca are tied for fourth at 67.

Grisette, who works in sales

for a Swiss company, missed tying the Country Club of Charleston course record by one shot. A North Carolina State graduate, Grisette, 42, played professionally for six years before a broken wrist ended his career. He is the current North Carolina Mid-Amateur champion.

"I just played really good. I didn't make a bogey. I hit it close and made a few putts. Our whole group played well," Grisette said, pointing out that Cromie shot 65 and Paul Woodbury shot 69.

"We fed off each other, so it was a fun day."

Grisette started on the back nine and made the turn at 2 under with birdies on 15 and 17. He birdied four of the first five holes on the front nine (missing out on the par-4 second) and finished with birdies on 7 and 9 for a 30.

Atkinson, 51, recently qualified for his second straight U.S. Senior Open and has been playing extremely well. He made the turn at 1 under with a pair of birdies following a bogey on the par-3 third hole. Atkinson finished his round with a flourish, shooting a 5-under 30 on the back nine that included birdies at 14, 15, 17 and 18.

"I was actually 1 over through three holes," he said. "I putted pretty well. I had a lot of 10- to 15-foot putts. I didn't feel like I struck the ball very well, but I didn't hit it in any trouble, either."

The top 31 players after today's round will join defending champion Ben Kohles of Cary, N.C., in match play that begins Friday and culminates with a scheduled 36-hole final Sunday. Kohles, already exempt, shot 67 Wednesday in what amounted to a practice round.

Reach Tommy Braswell at 937-5591 or braswell@postandcourier.com.