WIESBADEN-DOTZHEIM, Germany — Wiesbaden freshman Hollie Salvo was a single point better than any of the other 12 girls in the field, and Ramstein senior Aaron Fitzpatrick threatened to run away with the boys’ title Wednesday after Day 1 of the two-day DODDS-Europe high school golf championships.
Salvo toured Rheinblick golf course’s front nine as though she’d been playing it all her life, amassing 18 Stableford points en route to a round of 18-9—27 to lead Ramstein sophomore Lizzy Ward, the No. 2 seed, by a point after 18 holes.
Under the high schools’ Stableford scoring system, double-bogeys earn one point, bogeys two, pars three, birdies four and eagles or aces six.
"I played better than I thought I would," said Salvo. "I was nervous before the first hole but not afterward."
Salvo was speaking at the driving range, where under the tutelage of her father, Chuck Salvo, she cheerfully worked out some of the kinks she endured on the back nine.
"I started hitting the ball bad," she said, "because I was tired."
Salvo’s cool spell allowed Ward, the 2007 runner-up, to climb back into the race for the girls’ championship. She shot 12-14—26.
"On the back nine, I kept thinking, ‘Hollie did so well, Hollie did so well,’ " Ward recalled as she, too, visited the range after her round. "I was nervous."
Third-seeded Barbara Burris of Kaiserslatuern and defending champion Gabbi Dellick of Aviano, struggled along with Salvo on the back nine. Burriss shot 12-8—20; Dellick 9-5—14.
Boys’ top-seed Fitzpatrick opened with a birdie on the 347-yard par-4 first hole and forged a 12-point lead by day’s end. He spent his post-round time on the putting green, despite a round that contained three birdies and 10 pars.
"I was hitting the ball great," he said after a round of 26-25—51, "but I couldn’t find the hole with my putter."
Fitzpatrick theorized Rheinblick’s greens had something to do with his putting problems. "Everything is slanted," he said. "There are no flat putts. You might get to putt straight uphill or straight downhill, but that’s it."
Fitzpatrick’s Ramstein teammate, John Collett, the No. 4 seed, was in second with 40 points, while Lakenheath’s Carlton Casso was third with 39. Defending champion Craig Herron of Ramstein, once again celebrating his Scottish ancestry by wearing his trademark plus-fours — this time in Ramstein red-and-blue plaid — managed a 22-13—35 to place fourth.
Final-round play begins resumes Thursday at 9 a.m., and Ward, for one, is looking forward to it.
"I like a close match," she said. "You’re playing with worthy rivals and good friends. That’s the reason I play golf."