The 2013 PGA of Alberta championship opened under perfect conditions at River Bend Golf Course Monday and the field tore up the course.
Twenty-six in the field of 99 finished under par and 34 were par or better following the first of two rounds.
Matt Freeman of Canyon Meadows of Calgary fired a seven-under par 65 to take a one-stroke lead over Darryl James of the National Golf Academy at Shaganappi and Tim Sawatzky of Lynx Ridge in Calgary.
Red Deer native Todd Halpen of the Golf Canada Centre came in with a 67 while Gord Newis of Calgary Glencoe and Thomas Schupp of Eaglequest Golf Dome in Calgary shot a 68.
Blair Buttar of Edmonton, Mark Corrigan of Pinebrook and Red Deer native Joey Sereda of the Academy of Golf Town, Edmonton North, were at 69.
Jake Behiels of Cougar Creek in Sundre sits in a tie for 18th at 71 with Kevin Broderson of Lacombe and Roy Hide of the Red Deer Golf and Country Club at even-par 72.
Scott Anderson of River Bend shot a 73 and is tied for 35th.
Tye Friesen of Lacombe came in with a 74 while Wayne Dick of Innisfail, Ryan Moore of Ponoka and Aaron Pakylak of the Red Deer Golf and Country Club shot a 76.
River Bend’s Todd Fiske had a 77, one stroke better than Red Deer native Jordan Krulicki of Sherwood Park’s Belvedere and Brian Miller of Pine Hills in Rocky Mountain House.
Kevin Snell of Red Deer’s Golf Town had an 82 with Scott Bergdahl of Lakewood Golf Resort at 83 and David Drake of Pine Hills at 85.
The leaders go off today at 1 p.m.