2021 Champion of Champions: Round one recap

The opening round of the 12th Annual Washington Champion of Champions is in the books. Some familiar names sit near the top of the leaderboards after Thursday’s opening round from The Home Course in DuPont, Wash.

Players putt out on the 18th green at The Home Course

Championship links:

Daniel Campbell and Cody Roth, both of Bellingham, tied for the low round of the day at 5-under 67 to lead the Men’s division. Campbell secured a spot in this championship by finishing in the top-10 on the 2020 WA Golf Men’s Mid-Amateur points list, while Roth earned a spot after winning the 2020 North Bellingham Amateur.

In the Women’s division, defending champion Victoria Fallgren of Spokane shot 4-under 68, and holds a one-shot lead over Jacqueline Bendrick of Mercer Island and a two-shot lead over 2020 Washington Women’s Amateur champion Alice Duan of Lincoln, Neb. Fallgren is looking for her third straight title in this championship.

Four-time champion Tom Brandes of Bellevue fired an opening round 4-under 68 to lead the Senior Men’s division. Brandes started his round on fire, carding five birdies in his first eight holes. He holds a three-shot entering Friday’s final round over Chris Indall of Richland.

Karen Johnson of Auburn leads the Senior Women’s division, shooting a 5-over 77. Johnson earned a spot in the field by winning the 2020 Riverbend GC Women’s Club Championship.

The championship is being played over 36 holes of stroke play on April 29-30. This year’s field consists of 156 champions from around the state of Washington and Northern Idaho, competing in four divisions – Men, Senior Men, Women and Senior Women. This is the largest field in the history of the championship.

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