Photo by Kyle Coburn/NAPGT :: Story by Matt Byrne/NAPGT

SUTTON, MA (July 10, 2007)-Despite morning rain and afternoon heat, day one of the Blackstone National Open ended with a tie for the record of lowest cut at 144, two under par, after 36 holes of regulation play.

Michael Welch shot a sizzling bogey-free eight under par 64 to take the lead after eighteen holes, but his margin was kept narrow throughout the day by close competition.

“It was just a grind out there all day, I just wanted to get done, get dinner and go to bed,” Welch said. “Tomorrow if I play like I did today maybe some of the putts will go in,” he said.

No more than one shot separated first and second place after all was tallied. By the time lunch was served on the patio Welch’s opening 64 placed him atop the board with Gallo just one shot back at 65. By early evening the two had switched positions; Welch-Gallo became Gallo-Welch.

Both players expect low scores tomorrow, when they will form the final twosome.

“… my goal was to get to twenty under,” Gallo said. “It’s a golf course that yields a lot of birdies,” he said.

But the ambitious pro from Berlin, CT was quick not to rest on his laurels. “I’m at twelve [under], it definitely could have been a little bit lower in the afternoon,” Gallo said. His plan of attack tomorrow is “birdies, birdies, birdies.”

Higher temperatures and firmer greens further tested the field in the second round of regulation. Michael Welch and Dustin Cone tied for second at 133, eleven under.

Cone attributed a week of down time and preparation to his sharpened performance.

“I practiced quite a bit at home, I had the week off,” Cone said. Missing only a handful of greens, Cone attributed low scores to improved putting and driving.

Always lurking, defending Blackstone champion Geoff Sisk sits five shots off the lead. The regional star arrived hot off two wins in the last three weeks, taking home first prize at both the Massachusetts Open June 18-20 and the Providence Open July 6-7. Sisk holds fifth place alone at 137, seven under par going into the second and final day.

Tee-times resume tomorrow at 7 AM for the reduced field, which pair off into twosomes for the final eighteen holes.