Kulp Sets Scoring Record with 5-Under-Par 66

To Lead First Day of Stroke Play

Bristol, Va. –   Bob Kulp, 57, a cosmetic dentist from Winston-Salem, N.C., shot a record-setting 5-under-par 66 to lead the USGA Senior Amateur Championship by one stroke at The Virginian Golf Club.

Kulp, one of three players in the field from Forsyth Country Club in Winston-Salem, eclipsed the previous low stroke play score in Senior Amateur history of 68, which had been shared by four players.

“I’m really surprised about that,” said Kulp, who won the 2003 North and South Senior and was fourth at Senior British Amateur in August. “It makes me feel really good.”

Kulp credited his caddie, Jay Fischer, a member of The Virginian, for his success. Fischer, on the other hand, turned it back to Kulp.

“I raked two bunkers in three days, that’s how well Bob is playing,” said Fischer .

Kulp reeled off six birdies and a bogey for his record score, saying: “I played pretty well. I didn’t miss a putt.”

Mark Bemowski, 57, last year’s runner-up from Mukwonago, Wis., was a stroke behind Kulp at 67, followed by Bruce Richards, 60, of Bellevue, Wash., a member of the USGA Executive Committee, who shot 68.

A corporate salesman, Bemowski took advantage of the first starting time of the day and roared to a bogey-free round, making four birdies, including three in his last five holes.

“I played well today,” said Bemowski, 57, of Mukwonago, Wis. “I made two questionable swings, but actually didn’t make a putt all day. It could have been 63 or 4, easily. I missed a bunch of short putts.”

Two-time USA Walker Cup selection Marty West, 55, of Rockville, Md., David Boesel, 55, of Winter Park, Fla., and 1994 runner-up Bob Hullender, 66, of San Antonio, Texas each shot 69 to trail by three strokes.

Defending champion Greg Reynolds, 56, of Grand Blanc, Mich., and 1972 U.S. Amateur champion Vinny Giles, 60, of Richmond, Va., shot a 1-over-par 72s. Kemp Richardson, the 2001 champion, of Laguna Niguel, Calif., shot 75, and two-time champion Bill Shean, of Hinsdale, Ill., shot 78.

Bill Ploeger, of Columbus, Ga., the 1999 champion, scored a hole-in-one on the par-3 2 nd hole, the 10 th in the history of the championship and the first since 1999. He also had an ace at the 1996 Championship. Ploeger shot a 2-over-par 73.

Only eight sub-par scores were recorded on the 6,714-yard, par-71 Virginian.

Play continues Sunday with the second round of stroke play after which the field of 156 players is reduced to 64 for match play, which begins Monday. The championship runs through Thursday’s 18-hole final.

The USGA Senior Amateur is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the Association, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.

Bristol, Va. – Results of Saturday’s first round of stroke play at the 2003 USGA Senior Amateur played at The Virginian Golf Club (6,914-yards, par 71):

   Robert Kulp, Winston-Salem, N.,C., 33-33 -- 66

   Mark Bemowski, Mukwonago, Wis., 34-33 -- 67

   Bruce Richards, Bellevue, Wash., 35-33 -- 68

   Bob Hullender, San Antonio, Texas 33-36 -- 69

   David Boesel, Winter Park, Fla., 36-33 -- 69

   Martin West, Rockville, Md., 35-34 -- 69

   Alex Antonio, Bentleyville, Ohio 32-38 -- 70

   Tom Hackett, Richmond, Va., 33-37 -- 70

   Jerry Gruidl, Plymouth, Minn., 35-36 -- 71

   Kent Christopher, Farmington, Utah 37-34 -- 71

   Spencer Sappington, Alpharetta, Ga., 35-36 -- 71

   Bill Baloh, Herminie, Pa., 35-37 -- 72

   Bob Lutz, Jerome, Idaho 35-37 -- 72

   Greg Reynolds, Grand Blanc, Mich., 35-37 -- 72

   Jim Lipe, Shreveport, La., 37-35 -- 72

   Kenneth Forster, Salem, Ore., 34-38 -- 72

   Marvin Giles III, Richmond, Va., 36-36 -- 72

   Michael McCormick, Warwick, R.I., 36-36 -- 72

   Mike Riley, San Diego, Calif., 37-35 -- 72

   Rob Thompson, Merced, Calif., 34-38 -- 72

   Robert McIntyre, Westfield, N.J., 35-37 -- 72

   Alex Tarumianz, Lookout Mountain, Tenn., 36-37 -- 73

   Bill Heldmar, Tulsa, Okla., 36-37 -- 73

   Bill Ploeger, Columbus, Ga., 33-40 -- 73

   Gary Koprivica, Missoula, Mont., 36-37 -- 73

   Gaylord Davis, Portland, Ore., 34-39 -- 73

   Gerry Graham, Mesa, Ariz., 39-34 -- 73

   John Gibbs, Oneonta, Ala., 34-39 -- 73

   Robert Morris, Great Falls, Va., 38-35 -- 73

   Ronald Grove, Raleigh, N.C., 38-35 -- 73

   Sam Farlow, Birmingahm, Ala., 36-37 -- 73

   Beecher Metzger Jr, Venice, Fla., 37-37 -- 74

   Bob Howe, La Quinta, Calif., 37-37 -- 74

   Charles Roy Smethurst, England 36-38 -- 74

   Frank Abbott, Napa, Calif., 37-37 -- 74

   Gary Verble, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., 38-36 -- 74

   Gerald Chatham Sr, Hernando, Miss., 35-39 -- 74

   Jerry Coren, Lutz, Fla., 38-36 -- 74

   John Bracken III, West Hartford, Conn., 34-40 -- 74

   John Peters, Muscatine, Iowa 35-39 -- 74

   Larry Barnacle, Pine Springs, Minn., 34-40 -- 74

   Preston Davis, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., 38-36 -- 74

   Randy Reifers, Columbus, Ohio 37-37 -- 74

   Randy Sonnier, Houston, Texas 37-37 -- 74

   Ron Ramsey, Big Fork, Mont., 38-36 -- 74

   Steve Wolf, Lodi, Calif., 38-36 -- 74

   Vic Gerard, Lakewood, N.J., 36-38 -- 74

   William Dreibelbis, Freeport, Ill., 35-39 -- 74

   Al Riegel, Maple City, Mich., 36-39 -- 75

   Bobby Perkinson, Alcoa, Tenn., 38-37 -- 75

   Charlie Post, Denver, Colo., 37-38 -- 75

   Dave Ellis, Roseville, Calif., 36-39 -- 75

   Edward Craig, Orlando, Fla., 36-39 -- 75

   Fred Rowland, Leawood, Kan., 35-40 -- 75

   Gary Cloutier, Bloomfield Hills, Mich., 38-37 -- 75

   James Alcorn, Irwin, Pa., 38-37 -- 75

   Joe Whisenanat, Douglasville, Ga., 37-38 -- 75

   John French, Bloomfield Hills, Mich., 39-36 -- 75

   Kemp Richardson, Laguna Niguel, Calif., 37-38 -- 75

   Patrick Trowbridge, Tulsa, Okla., 36-39 -- 75

   Pete Parker, Winston-Salem, N.,C., 35-40 -- 75

   Robert Fouke, Broken Arrow, Okla., 37-38 -- 75

   Russ Berkoben, Perrysburg, Ohio 36-39 -- 75

   Terry W Andrews, Fallbrook, Calif., 38-37 -- 75

   Thomas Parkhill, Champaign, Ill., 37-38 -- 75

   Tom Saintsing, Lexington, N.C., 38-37 -- 75

   Wayne Harris, Missouri City, Texas 37-38 -- 75

  A B Sisco, Pensacola, Fla., 40-36 -- 76

   Alexander Lindsey, Swampscott, Mass., 36-40 -- 76

  Art Arns, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., 37-39 -- 76

   Bill Becker, Arlington Heights, Ill., 39-37 -- 76

   Dave DeNezza, Greensburg, Pa., 34-42 -- 76

   Dick Whitmire, Tallahassee, Fla., 36-40 -- 76

   Gene Ryzewicz, Westport, Conn., 37-39 -- 76

   Jamie Gough, Fairfax, Va., 36-40 -- 76

   Kent Stephens, Houston, Texas 38-38 -- 76

   Marc Delzer, Brookfield, Wis., 37-39 -- 76

   Mike Hilton, Muskego, Wis., 37-39 -- 76

   Peter Friedes, Winnetka, Ill., 38-38 -- 76

   Rick Smith, Crystal Lake, Ill., 37-39 -- 76

   Robert Kroeger, Cincinnati, Ohio 39-37 -- 76

   Ted Smith, Wilkinson, Ind., 39-37 -- 76

   Tom Jones, Valley Head, Ala., 36-40 -- 76

   Andrew Tompos, Lancaster, Pa., 38-39 -- 77

   Bruce Cadwell, Boise, Idaho 39-38 -- 77

   Dave Parsons, Benicia, Calif., 37-40 -- 77

   Denver Rawlings Jr, Charleston, W.Va., 38-39 -- 77

   Fred Silver, Lewiston, N.Y., 38-39 -- 77

   James Rowen, Indianapolis, Ind., 37-40 -- 77

   Jeffrey Weidig, Chevy Chase, Md., 38-39 -- 77

   John A Felker, Atlanta, Ga., 36-41 -- 77

   Joseph Rogers, Sun City, Ariz., 39-38 -- 77

   Ken Couturier, Melbourne, Fla., 38-39 -- 77

   Lee Shaw, Memphis, Tenn., 38-39 -- 77

   Peter Roby, Rochester, N.Y., 40-37 -- 77

   Philip Shumway, Phoenix, Ariz., 37-40 -- 77

   Robert Keller, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., 39-38 -- 77

   Ronald Moore, Pinehurst, N.C., 35-42 -- 77

   Vic Hannon, Camden, S.C., 39-38 – 77

   Bill Ross, Seattle, Wash., 40-38 -- 78

   Bill Shean Jr, Hinsdale, Ill., 38-40 -- 78

   Curtis Madson, Mount Dora, Fla., 40-38 -- 78

   Dan Eakin, Houston, Texas 39-39 -- 78

  H Andy Wall, Tyler, Texas 39-39 -- 78

   Joe Hart, Bluefield, Va., 38-40 -- 78

   Marshall Fall, Hendersonville, N.C., 39-39 -- 78

   Merton Goode, San Francisco, Calif., 38-40 -- 78

   Patrick McCabe, Jupiter, Fla., 39-39 -- 78

   Richard Andrews, Houston, Texas 39-39 -- 78

   Ron Brewer, Leawood, Kan., 39-39 -- 78

   Stephen Isaacs, Richmond, Va., 37-41 -- 78

   Thomas Blank, Rochester, N.Y., 40-38 -- 78

   Tom McKinney, Bryant, Ark., 39-39 -- 78

   Tony Aguiar, Richmond, Va., 37-41 -- 78

   Walt Noell, Winston-Salem, N.C., 38-40 -- 78

   Billy Graham, Pensacola, Fla., 39-40 -- 79

   Bruce Rotte, Cincinnati, Ohio 35-44 -- 79

  Chuck Kuhn, Atlanta, Ga., 39-40 -- 79

   Dan Anderson, Lenoir, N.C., 41-38 -- 79

   Doug King, Columbia, S.C., 38-41 -- 79

  Fan Gaudette, South Hadley, Mass., 41-38 -- 79

   Frank Schmidt, Waterloo, Iowa 38-41 -- 79

   Gary Kirwan, McKinney, Texas 40-39 -- 79

   Gayle Sanchez, Baton Rouge, La., 39-40 -- 79

   George Branch, Camden, Ark., 38-41 -- 79

   Gregory P Zorila, Eastchester, N.Y., 38-41 -- 79

   Jim Haynie, North Wales, Pa., 41-38 -- 79

   Jim Lowe, Lincoln, Neb., 39-40 -- 79

   John Hendricks, Mountain Lakes, N.J., 39-40 -- 79

   Mike Rollyson, Boca Grande, Fla., 40-39 -- 79

   Paul Kay, Encino, Calif., 40-39 -- 79

   Richard Smith, Villanova, Pa., 37-42 -- 79

   Robert Evans, Franklin, Mass., 38-41 -- 79

   David Anderson, Chestertown, Md., 38-42 -- 80

   David Ishikawa, Honolulu, Hawaii 37-43 -- 80

   Dennis Younglove, Davis, Calif., 37-43 -- 80

   Harcourt Kemp, Louisville, Ky., 39-41 -- 80

   Herman Klemick, Coral Gables, Fla., 40-40 -- 80

   Jay Pierson, Shreveport, La., 41-39 -- 80

   Michael Dawes, Jacksonville, Fla., 39-41 -- 80

   Pat Kuehner, Phoenix, Ariz., 40-40 -- 80

   Rennie Law, Tampa, Fla., 38-42 -- 80

   Dennis Moore, Chesterfield, Mo., 42-39 -- 81

   Dick Horne, Charleston, S.C., 43-38 -- 81

   Harry Boback, League City, Texas 37-44 -- 81

   Louis Rubino, Potomac, Md., 41-40 -- 81

   David Brookreson, Huntingdon Valley, Pa., 43-39 -- 82

   Elston Mitchell, Bloomington, Ill., 40-42 -- 82

   Jack Ramsey, Germantown, Tenn., 43-39 -- 82

   Don Laney, Charlotte, N.C., 42-41 -- 83

   Michael Sargent, Calabasas, Calif., 43-40 -- 83

   Richard Chenoweth, Parkersburg, W.Va., 39-44 -- 83

   Charlie Busbee, Atlanta, Ga., 40-44 -- 84

   Craig Carlisle, Trophy Club, Texas 42-43 -- 85

   John Taylor, Sebastopol, Calif., 40-47 -- 87

   Thomas Mahony, Newton, Mass., 41-46 – 87