Dan and Jon Peterson were confident entering Saturday's first round of the CBS4 Amateur Golf Tournament at Moorhead Country Club.
They had every right to expect success.
The 17-year-old twins, who qualified for the Minnesota state golf tournament this year as Moorhead High juniors, were coming off their most successful high school season to date.
And the Petersons hold home-course advantage, as the pair lives just off the eighth green at MCC and play the course nearly every day.
Predictably, Dan and Jon's experience and familiarity helped put them in contention at their first CBS4 tournament.
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Dan finished the day with six birdies en route to a
first-round 73, two strokes behind co-leaders David Schultz and Casey Nelson.
Schultz is coming off a memorable first of his own. The Fargo South product scored a handful of top-20 finishes in his freshman season at NCAA Division I Colorado State.
Jon Peterson, meanwhile, who shot a 76, overcame a slow start to finish the first round in a tie for sixth.
"It helped a lot," Dan said of his experience at the state tournament earlier this month. "It doesn't make me as nervous playing with a lot of older guys who are probably head and shoulders above me.
"It calmed my nerves a little bit, helped me settle down."
Dan Peterson bogeyed two of the first four holes, but breezed through the back nine with birdies on Nos. 10, 13, 14 and 16.
"I didn't start off good," Dan said. "I just wasn't driving the ball well and got in the rough a lot."
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Former Spuds teammate Terry Kragero, this year's
Section 8 champion, is also in contention after a first-round 72, one stroke off the lead.
"It was a good showing for Moorhead," Dan said. "Terry could easily shoot low and win this. My brother is only five back and could still make a run for something."
Readers can reach Forum reporter Heath Hotzler at (701) 241-5562
