COLORADO SPRINGS — All Emily Wood does is win.
The Salida junior has finished first in two dozen tournaments as she nears the end of her third season.
Today at historic Patty Jewett Golf Course, Wood, who has a scholarship offer from Iowa, would love to add Colorado’s Class 4A championship to her considerable list.
By firing a 1-over-par 75 on Monday, Wood took the first-round lead. And as is the case with most rounds of golf, it could have been better. She hit it into the water on consecutive holes and three-putted three times, including on her last hole, when she was about 14 feet from the pin.
“I was really embarrassed about that,” Wood said. “Everybody was watching, and I three-putt. But everything was working today.”
Wood and Evergreen’s Christina Spinzig, one shot back at 76, were the only players to break 80 on a day when Patty Jewett’s increased length, tough rough and breaking greens were in stark contrast to 2007, when top 5A players tore up the course’s Plains and Prairie nines.
But Monday on the Plains and Peak nines, keeping it respectable and not giving it away on the first day was the norm as opposed to going low. Consider defending champion Elizabeth Kresock — the senior from Colorado Academy duffed a couple of chips and struggled on the greens. She’s at 11-over 85.
“It was rough, definitely a grind,” Kresock said. “I struck my driver well, but my putting was very poor. Usually, it’s the opposite.”
Said Wood: “I really thought someone was going to go below par. But it played hard.”
Among the pack, Lindsay McGetrick (Valor Christian) turned in 81; Kathleen Kershisnik (Regis) and Chance Forbes (Evergreen) are at 82; and Olivia Garard (Kent Denver), the first-round leader in 2008, and Molly Dorans (Broomfield) are at 83.
Teamwise, Wood-led Salida put up 259. Rock Canyon (262), Broomfield (267) Kent Denver (268) and Cheyenne Mountain (269) are among those within range.
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
