Jim Grainger Leads NC Senior after Rd 1

Jim Grainger plays shot from the fairway at Porters Neck CC on Monday.

WILMINGTON, NC -- First round results from the 31st North Carolina Senior Amateur Championship hosted by Porters Neck Country Club in Wilmington on Monday, May 16, 2016. (6565 yards, par 36-36--72, Course/Slope Rating: 71.7/125).

Seven birdies and a lone bogey led to a six-under-par 66 for Jim Grainger, 59, of Charlotte, NC. Starting on the back nine at Porters Neck Country Club, Grainger birdied holes 11, 12 and 13 to fuel his hot start and added a birdie on 17 to turn at four-under. "I felt very relaxed out there and made some putts early on and kept hitting good golf shots," said Grainger. "When I had a birdie opportunity, I made the putt.”

Grainger, who is currently the Carolinas Senior Four-Ball Champion with partner Jim Pearson, had his putter to thank after the round of the day.  “My friends do not consider me a good putter, but something has happened and I like it!”

Grainger has finished runner-up in the NC Senior Championship four years in a row, losing in a sudden death playoff three of those years. When asked if this is his year to finally break through, he responded “I do not know...If I can be in the mix on the final day it will be fun. Grainger has been in the position before, “I came down here with the intentions of being nervous on the final day.” With one more round like today, and he will not have a reason to be nervous.

Alone in second place at three-under-par, three shots back of Grainger, is 55-year-old Harrison Rutter of Winston-Salem, NC. Preston Edmondson of Raleigh, NC shot two-under par and is four shots back.

Defending champion Paul Simson, 65, of Raleigh, NC carded a one-over 73 and is tied for 12th.

The North Carolina Senior Amateur Championship is 54 holes of stroke play. After 36 holes, the field is cut to the low 60 scores and ties. Entry is open to any male golfer who has reached his 55th birthday by May 16, 2016, is a legal resident of North Carolina, is a member in good standing of a club which is a member of the Carolinas Golf Association (CGA) and has a current USGA Handicap Index® at a member club that does not exceed 10.4.

 Related: Tee times & Pairings | Hole-by-hole scoring | Championship History | Photos

Scoring will be provided by the CGA throughout the championship, offering 9 and 18-hole updates. Live updates will also be available on the CGA’s official Twitter, @cgagolf1909. Continue to visit the CGA website throughout this championship and all year long for complete championship coverage including scores, interviews, photos, and recaps.