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The conditions were perfect. The courses were set up just right.
And the state's best high school golfers took advantage Wednesday to post some low scores in the first round of the state championships throughout the Tri-Cities.
Both 4A champions of two years ago seized control of their tournaments. At Canyon Lakes, Eastlake senior Kevin Penner shot a 4-under 68 to grab a three-shot lead in the boys tournament.
At Sun Willows, Kamiak's Seo Hee Moon shot a 3-under 69 and leads the girls tourney by two shots over a trio of golfers.
The 3A girls leader, Katrina Hegge of Seattle Prep, shot a 5-under 67 at Horn Rapids to lead by six.
At Columbia Point, brothers Jack and Patrick Whealdon of Ilwaco sit 1-2 in the 1A tourney -- Jack shot a 5-under 67, and Patrick is tied with Goldendale's Zach Wanderscheid one stroke back.
Defending 1A girls champion Kelli Bowers of Chelan also went low, shooting an even-par 72 to lead at Columbia Point by 13 shots -- the largest lead of anyone.
The fields were halved for today's final rounds -- the top 40 and ties in all but the 1A and 2B/1B girls tourneys, in which the top 20 and ties survived.
Action begins at 7:30 a.m., with the leaders going off around 9 a.m.
4A boys
Penner also shot 68 two years ago at Shuksan Golf Club in Bellingham on his way to the state title.
That time, he trailed by one after one round. This time, Penner is three shots clear of three golfers -- including last year's WJGA state champion, Hank Frame of University -- after opening his round with three consecutive birdies.
"I like the position I'm in," said Penner, who'll play at UNLV next year. "I've just got to stay focused. There are a lot of good golfers out there, so I'll need to play my 'A' game to have a chance to win."
Penner came over to the Tri-Cities on Saturday and took advantage of the three-day Memorial Day weekend to get practice rounds in each of the past four days.
"I was able to develop a game plan of where I want to be on each hole and where not to be," he said. "I was able to feel more comfortable with my course management."
Pasco freshman Samson Martinez was grouped with last year's winner, Reid Martin of Kamiak, and shot a 3-over 75 -- two shots better than Martin.
"That feels real good," Martinez said. "It was kind of nervewracking, being a freshman and playing with last year's champ."
All seven area golfers made the cut. Walla Walla's Drew Reinland, the CBBN district champion, is tied for eighth at 2-over 74 after birdies on Nos. 9 and 16 salvaged his round.
Four of them made the cut right on the number at 8-over 80, including Pasco's Saul Martinez and Southridge's Justin Sprengel.
4A girls
Moon, who finished third a year ago after her dominant win of two years ago, was 2-over through seven holes before eagling the par-5 eighth.
She then birdied 12 and 14 and got another eagle at 15 before giving a stroke back on the final hole.
Lewis & Clark's Chessey Thomas is in the group at 1-under as the Tigers have three golfers in the top nine. Also in that group is Rui Li of Kentwood, last year's WJGA state champion.
Richland advanced three golfers, including freshman Kristin Strankman, who shot a career-best 77 on the Pasco course, and junior Madison Hamm, who made the cut for the first time in three attempts with a 79.
Strankman didn't record a birdie and bogeyed the last two holes to put a little damper on her excitement of making the cut.
"I just had to go out and believe in myself," she said. "Just being at state as a freshman is a big accomplishment in itself."
Hamm would have matched Strankman's score after birdieing Nos. 13 and 14, but she had to take a two-stroke penalty on 18 after accidentally hitting one of her playing partner's ball out of the rough.
"I felt like I was going to throw up (before the round)," Hamm said. "It wasn't until I hit the pin with my tee shot on the second hole that I could relax. I'm pretty excited about making the cut."
Also getting through is CBBN district champion Mary McDonald, who shot an 80.
3A boys
Camas' Daniel Snoey went out in the first group of the day and shot an even-par 72, recording only one birdie (No. 3) and one bogey (No. 15) on his card.
He wasn't matched until one of the last groups of the day, when Enumclaw junior Jake Erickson completed his up-and-down round with a par.
Erickson rebounded after missing a 2-foot par putt on his opening hole, eventually posting birdies with short putts on Nos. 3, 10 and 14.
"I definitely knew I could play like this," said Erickson, who tied for 15th at his district tournament. "It was just a matter of actually doing it."
Timberline senior Cameron Peck, the reigning U.S. Junior Amateur champion and national junior player of the year, is one shot back after a 73.
"I'm in fine position," said Peck, who was 4-over through 7 holes. "I hit the ball really good today, but I missed a lot of putts."
Hanford had three golfers make the cut -- sophomore Scott Kim (76) and seniors Josh Harvey (77) and Alex Cantu (78).
Kim and Harvey both struggled on the back nine. Kim was at 1-over before consecutive bogeys on Nos. 11-13, while Harvey was 2-under through 11 before his round blew up.
"I started safe-guarding it because I knew I was in the lead," said Harvey, a Cal State-Fullerton signee. "I didn't stay with the game plan and stopped attacking."
3A girls
Hegge posted top-10 finishes the past two years, finishing fourth last year and tied for sixth in 2007. Both times, she had to recover after poor opening rounds.
This year, she'll be the hunted rather than the hunter after breaking the women's course record at Horn Rapids with her 67. Her closest competitor is Mallory Kent of Foster, last year's 2A runner-up, who shot a 73.
2A
Matt Rawitzer of Squalicum won the 3A boys title a year ago, and after shooting an 8-under 64 at Apple Tree in Yakima, he's halfway to capturing the 2A crown. He leads Gerrit Chambers of Hockinson, who finished tied for fourth last year, by two shots. A pair of Othello golfers, Sam Para and Jared Kummer, are tied for eighth at 2-over 74.
Mary-Grace Jenks of Mark Morris shot a 1-over 73 to lead the girls tourney by three shots over defending champion Claire Rachor of Bellingham. Othello's Ashley Amoruso is 11 shots back, tied for 12th.
1A
Jack Whealdon, who finished second at state a year ago, led a group of seven golfers to break par at Columbia Point, taking advantage of the benign conditions.
"The weather cooperated. It wasn't too windy, and the pin locations were in accessible places," Wanderscheid said. "I could have shot a lot lower, but I missed a few putts I should have made. But I'm still right there. I'm excited for (today)."
Bowers ran away with last year's title, winning by 15 shots, and she's well on her way to duplicating that result after recovering from a triple bogey on the third hole with birdies on Nos. 10, 13, 14 and 17 coming in.
"I was just a little overaggressive and not totally locked in," she said. "This course is fun, but it's short and good for the long hitters."
A pair of Royal golfers are in the top 10 -- district champion Lacy Goroske shot 91 and Shelby Forester a 92.
2B/1B
Jared Desoteaux of Northwest Christian (Colbert), the District 7 champion who finished fourth at state a year ago, shot a 3-over 68 at Tri-City Country Club to lead defending champion Craig Crawford of Highland Christian by a stroke.
Kristen Rue of Life Christian is halfway toward successfully defending her title, shooting a 7-over 72 and leading teammate Kendyl Prosser by 12 shots.
