Grube Shoots Five Under To Take Opening Day

By Ralph Nicholson

US player Rob Grube carded a five-under par 66 to take the outright lead after the opening round of the inaugural Costa Rica Golf Classic 2008, at Guanacaste’s Reserva Conchal Golf Club on Thursday.

Only one stroke off the pace were the young South Americans Martín Ureta, of Chile and Argentina’s Sebastián Saavedra, who shared second place along with Canada’s Chris Baryla.

At 68, Argentina’s Juan Ignacio Gil, Venezuela’s Daniel Escalera and Canada’s Kris Wasylowich ran into a three-way tie for third.

© Ralph Nicholson

WORLD CLASS: Byron Smith, from California, finished the first round with a one-over-par 72. Earlier in the week about 100 players took part in a warm-up pro-am tournament.

Nineteen players broke part on day one at the Robert Trent Jones-designed golf course.

Grube, a professional player since June, shot a one-over par on his first four holes, then went on to collect four birdies and one eagle on the remaining fourteen.

“I got off to a tough start as I bogeyed my second hole, but felt pretty relaxed all the way. I got a couple of putts to fall early and kept the momentum going from there,” said the 23-year old, who graduated from Stanford last June and is playing his sixth official Canadian Tour event.

Grube is among 81 players from 15 countries competing for prize money totaling $125,000, with a check for $20,000 going to the winner.

© Ralph Nicholson

HIGH PROFILE PRO: The US Ambassador, Peter Cianchette (left) was invited to play with his wife Carolyn Cianchette and local restaurateur, Mike Osborne.

The four-day competition is part of a new partnership between the Tour de las Americas and the Canadian Tour which are agreed to co-sanction a series of three events in Chile, Argentina and Costa Rica.

The Costa Rica Golf Classic is the last of the three.

“This arrangement extends the season for us at a time when we can’t play golf in Canada,” said Rick Janes, Commissioner of the Canadian Tour.

© Ralph Nicholson

DRIVER, PLEASE: Rob Grube shows the form which had leading after day one.

“We have been working on this for the best part of three years,” he added.

“You can’t develop world-class athletes if you don’t provide world class competition.”

The Costa Rican Classic finishes on Sunday.