Lucas Murray, former Mount Union golfer, leads at 103rd Ohio Amateur

DAYTON (AP) — Unheralded Lucas Murray birdied the final three holes for a 68 and a one-shot lead over defending champion Vaughn Snyder through Tuesday’s opening round of the 103rd Ohio Amateur.

Murray was an overlooked member of the 144-field coming into Moraine Country Club. The East Sparta resident had never played in the tournament before and had spent his first two years on the team at Mount Union. He’s transferring to Akron this fall.

A former Ohio State player who won by two shots at Findlay Country Club last year, Snyder intends to turn pro next week before playing in the Ohio Open.

Sharing third at 2-under 70 are Ben Boyer, a University of Toledo junior who calls Moraine his home course, along with 34-year-old Mitch Mahoney of Hamilton and Ohio University sophomore Paul Grauer of Dublin.

Another shot back in the 72-hole stroke-play tournament are 1995 Ohio Am champ Alan Fadel, Middletown’s Alex Martin, Notre Dame grad Steven Drake of Findlay, Xavier’s Chris Burger from Cincinnati, Mark Akers of Tiffin, University of Findlay golfer Joe McGeehan of Springfield and Cincinnati’s Rob Chappell.

During a practice round on Sunday, Martin, a rising senior at Indiana, set the course record with a 63.

Murray had been playing in other tournaments and had missed the deadline for entering the Ohio Amateur — until he made sure he mailed in the forms well ahead of time this spring. He works at Glenmoor Country Club in Canton.

He turned in 1 under 35, then traded birdies and bogeys on holes 11-14. After a birdie at the par-4 16th hole, he reached the par-5 17th in two shots and two-putted for another birdie.

At the closing hole, he hit his approach over the pin, leaving him some 30 feet from the hole. But he urged in the double-breaker putt — “Keep going! Go!” he yelled as it drew closer to the hole — to close out his 68.

Snyder double-bogeyed his fifth hole on the day and was 2-over at that point, but didn’t have another bogey the rest of the way. The 22-year-old made five birdies coming home.

One of the best first-round stories was Fadel, a former pro who regained his amateur status and then captured the 1995 tournament at Coldstream Country Club in Cincinnati.