Norman Xiong, Hayden Wood and Mark Lawrence Jr. share first-round lead in U.S. Amateur Championship

Norman Xiong, the NCAA freshman golfer of the year at Oregon; Hayden Wood of Oklahoma State; and Mark Lawrence Jr., the Virginia state amateur champion, shot six-under-par 64s Monday to share the first-round lead in stroke play of the U.S. Amateur Championship at Riviera and Bel-Air country clubs.

Xiong had six birdies without a bogey at Riviera; Wood had seven birdies and one bogey at Riviera and Lawrence eagled two par fives at Bel-Air. A bogey on the par-four 18th kept him from the outright lead.

Arthur Griffin of Lake Placid, N.Y. is two strokes off the lead after a 66 at Riviera.

Only 27 players in the field of 312 broke par on the two courses, 15 at Bel-Air and 12 at Riviera, which is playing as a par 70 instead of it’s usual 71. The 509-yard opening hole, a par five during the regular PGA Tour stop in L.A., is being played as a par four.

Stroke play continues today at the two courses. The low 64 scorers after today advance to single-elimination match play at Riviera on Wednesday through Sunday, when the two finalists will play a 36-hole championship match.

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