One round into the Golfweek Mountain Man, Kevin VandenBerg has separated himself from the pack. The New Yorker fired a 3-under 69 in the opening round at Mountain Glen Golf Club in Newland, North Carolina, to take a four-shot lead in the 54-hole event.
The 60-year-old VandenBerg, unsurprisingly, has won this event twice before. In Monday’s opening round, he started slow with a single bogey to eight pars on the front nine but then blistered the back nine with four birdies for a 32.
VandenBerg, who is exempt into the U.S. Senior Amateur at the end of the month, has logged two wins in World Amateur Golf Rankings-ranked events so far this year.
Behind him on the Mountain Man leaderboard, Steve Mitchell of Toledo, Ohio, and John Olsen of Mooresville,
North Carolina, both posted opening rounds of 73. From there, a four-shot gap separates them from Troy Jones of Lewisville, Texas, in fourth place.
The Super Senior division is far tighter. Three men share the lead at 2 over: Bob Easterlin of Frisco, Texas; James Starnes of Fort Myers, Florida; and Keith Waters of Raleigh, North Carolina. Among that group, Starnes had the most consistent day until finishing double-bogey-birdie for his 74.
John Fritz of Mint Hill, North Carolina, leads a group of three players in the Legend division. Fritz had a 2-under 70 while Mark Benefield of Peachtree Corners, Georgia; Terry Tyson of Perrysburg, Ohio; and Jeffrey Knox of Jupiter, Florida, came in with 2 over.
Don Russell of Jupiter, Florida, leads the Super Legend division at 1 under, which is three shots better than a group of four men that includes John Osborne, a past champion in this event.
In the Masters division for players age 80 and over, former NBA player Jack Marin of Durham, North Carolina, has the advantage after a 1-over 73 left him with a two-shot lead.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Kevin VandenBerg takes early lead at Golfweek Mountain Man
