A man in a light blue polo and navy shorts swings a golf club on a lush green course, wearing a white cap and sunglasses. — Kyle Kelting shot an opening round 72 on Thursday at the Amarillo Country Club to lead the 32nd Coors Tournament of Champions. [Carter Pirtle/ Press Pass Sports]

Kyle Kelting will wake up Friday not only celebrating his 64th birthday, but holding up the flag for the old guard by holding the opening round lead of the 32nd Annual Coors Tournament of Champions.

Playing rock steady golf on a challenging setup at Amarillo Country Club that saw all seven golfers shoot over par – only the second time ever day one of the TOC has ended with each golfer over par – Kelting birdied the final hole to shoot a 1-over 72 and hold a two-stroke lead over one of the young guns 19-year-old Hunter Corman.

Kelting is playing his 19th TOC having won three times. So he knows day one is just the start of the four-day grind over four courses at ACC, Tascosa Golf Club (Friday), Comanche Trail (Saturday) and the finale Sunday at Ross Rogers.

“This is a marathon,” Kelting said of the four-day TOC. “So we have just begun. But I’m happy with the beginning. It was tricky out there with the pin placements and wind. But I thought I hit the ball really well, hit a lot of greens and a lot of fairways. The greens are always good when you play Amarillo Country Club but I struggled early to figure them out since I play out here about once a year. But I’m very happy with 72. I’m looking forward to the next three days.”

The seven TOC players will tee it up for round two at 8:30 a.m. Friday morning on the La Paloma side of the Tascosa Golf Club.

Eight players started the TOC Thursday morning but defending champion Ian Ansett had to withdraw after he opened with a birdie on the first hole (the only birdie of the day at No. 1). Ansett received a phone call concerning a family matter and left the course to attend to his pregnant wife who is due to give birth next month. Good news arrived by the afternoon with the issue solved and everything is very good with the Ansett family.

Golfer in a light blue polo and white cap lining up a putt on a green. — Kyle Kelting will celebrate his 64th birthday Friday. [Carter Pirtle/ Press Pass Sports]

Very good is how Kelting played throughout the day on the wicked ACC course, wicked because of the tough pin placements left firing at the hole a no-no, the fast greens meant playing defense on putting and then the wind made it rough on players to gage distances.

A set up these great golfers love to test their skills on.

Kelting will head to his home course La Paloma on Friday with confidence from a round of three bogeys, two birdies and 13 pars. He led in hitting the most fairways at nine and most greens in regulation at 14. That effort produced a round of 74 giving him a 2-stroke lead over recent Wildorado High graduate Corman, while recent Coors Partnership champ Stetson Provence and 2024 TOC champion Max Mitchell sit three back at 75.

Golfer mid-swing on a sunny golf course, wearing a light blue polo and white cap. — Wildorado graduate and reigning UIL Class 1A state individual champion, Hunter Corman, is in second place after shooting a 74 at the Amarillo Country Club on Thursday. [Carter Pirtle/ Press Pass Sports]

Corman’s first taste of the TOC had him leading after 12 holes but he hit out of bounds on No. 13. Still, big-hitting Corman is very much in the hunt at 74.

Provence had the comeback round of the sitting at 5-over after five holes thanks to five bogeys. But Provence was impressive finding his groove finishing the final 12 holes with 11 pars and a birdie at No. 13 after a massive drive, signing for a 74.

“The pins are tough but they always are at the TOC,” said Provence, playing in his second TOC. “I had two three putts the first four holes so I had to get used to the greens. That cost me. I settled in and starting hitting the ball better and I’m looking to (Friday). On day one as long as you don’t play yourself out of it, which I thought I had done after the first six holes, you give yourself a chance.”

Rounding out the scores were first-time TOCer Jenner King and TOC veteran Kent Neal at 76, followed by ACC club champion Drew Baccus at 78.

“I’m proud of the way I hung in there today,” Kelting said. “I’m very happy with where I’m at. But like I said this is a marathon and this is just the first lap. Not a bad first lap.”