Connor Preston is not a stranger to Moccasin Creek Country Club nor the Western Printing Pro-Am Golf Tournament. However, this weekend the Aberdeen native is experiencing something new during the tourney.

Preston is competing in the professional division for the first time in the annual event. The past amateur champion in the tourney is holding his own after shooting a one-under par during the opening round.

“I was happy with it. I played solid. I didn’t make a lot of mistakes,” Preston said. “It was overall a pretty good round.”

Preston said he didn’t think about moving up a division this year, instead focusing on and trusting his own game.

“I think I’ve just been trusting my process and my practice. I think I just kind of leaned on that,” Preston said. “I really didn’t think about any of the exterior going on. I was just kind of in the moment, in the zone, focusing on what I was doing. It seemed to work out pretty well.”

The 2016 graduate of Aberdeen Central said that it helped to play in a foursome with amateurs that he knew, on a course that he was also familiar with. He currently lives in Scottsdale, Ariz.

“It’s always nice to come back to the hometown and play the course that I grew up on,” Preston said. “I played a little bit over the summer and stuff, and have done alright, but it’s definitely nice and comfortable and to come back to where I know how to play.”

Preston is six strokes off the lead entering today’s second round after firing a one-under par opening 18 holes.

He said it would be easy to think about the possible ramifications of a good or bad round, but would rather focus on the present and just play hole by hole.

“It’s definitely easy to think like, what if I shoot a really good score or what if I shoot a really bad score, things like that,” Preston said. “Obviously, you want to make the cut, but if I focus on next shot at the end, stay very in the moment and just trust myself, I think the cut will be attained pretty easily. I’m not trying to go out there and shoot a number. I’m not trying to shoot eight-under or something. I’m trying to stay in the moment, because that’s how it comes, is when you stay in the moment.”

AMONG THE LEADERS

One of the top rounds turned in on Friday belonged to Adam Navigato of Solana Beach, Calif. The 24-year-old golfer shot a four-under par and is in a four-way tie for third.

Zack Staub of Aventura, Fla., leads the tourney at seven-under, one stroke ahead of Broc Everett of West Des Moines, Iowa.

“I was hitting the ball amazing,” Navigato said of his round. “I probably hit like 16 greens.”

Navigato tied for sixth in last year’s Pro-Am tournament and enjoys coming to Aberdeen.

“Great course. I love this event,” he said. “I played well out here last year and feel good.”

When asked what he liked about the Moccasin Creek course, Navigato responded, “I think it’s the greens. The greens are just so pure. The rough is actually pretty penalizing, because you don’t get much spin out of it, so if you don’t hit the fairways too, then you’re in trouble.”

Navigato said it was good to get off to a solid start in the three-round event to prevent having to make up so much ground the last two days.

“It’s huge,” he said. “You really just want to get off to a good start so you don’t have to go out and birdie everything.”

Now, Navigato is definitely in the hunt for a possible championship.

He said he just needs to make a few minor adjustments for the last 36 holes.

“I just need to clean up a few of my short putts,” Navigato said, “and other than that, if I can get the ball rolling, I should have a good look at it.”

LONE LOCAL PRO

Jon Murdy is the lone Aberdeen resident competing in the professional division of the Pro-Am.

Murdy, the golf pro at Lee Park Golf Course, is a past Amateur champion in the tourney and has played multiple times in the professional division. He said he tries to approach it a bit differently in the higher division, but said it’s difficult.

“You try to, but it’s hard for me where you have the 9 to 5 job, where all these guys, this is their job,” Murdy said. “It makes it a little bit harder.”

Not that Murdy feels out of place among the top golfers. After all, earlier this year he qualified for the final stage of the U.S. Open qualifying tournament.

“I played in enough events and got the privilege of doing the final stage for the U.S. Open, so I mean playing with these guys doesn’t intimidate me,” Murdy said. “My whole golf game intimidates me.”

Murdy said playing in the U.S. Open qualifier not only gave him a chance to play with some of the best golfers in the country, it also whet his appetite to want to improve.

“Playing with Wyndham Clark was a lot of fun,” Murdy said of the current PGA Tour golfer. “The biggest thing that it did for me is it gave me a little extra drive to actually want to practice, actually want to try to get better.”

Murdy’s opening round of the Pro-Am did not go as well as he wanted. He will try to regroup for the final two rounds.

“Today was perfect weather and I ruined it by playing bad golf,” Murdy said.

To see complete opening round results, click on the following link:

https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/8080188490056208321