Christian County’s John Buchanan started fast but then survived some front nine struggles that could have derailed his first trip to the state golf tournament. The Colonel senior kept the struggles from spiraling out of control and shot a 5-over 77 Monday at the Leachman Buick-GMC-Cadillac/KHSAA State Golf Championship at the Bowling Green Country Club. Buchanan’s score was just on the cut line which allows him to continue to Wednesday’s second round.
Buchanan birdied the first two holes, including chipping in from off the green on the first hole, to share the early lead. After consecutive pars on holes three and four, Buchanan double-bogeyed the par-5 fifth hole to return to even par then bogeyed three straight holes to make the turn at 3-over par.
He sandwiched a birdie between two bogeys to start the back nine and then settled down to par four straight holes to keep the score from spiraling. Even though an approach shot on hole 18 found the cart path, he rallied for a bogey and was able to wait out the cut line to find out that he made it.
Buchanan will try and improve his first round score Wednesday in the second and final round in Bowling Green.
