Riley shoots 65 to lead Louisiana Open

• By BOB ARDOIN
• Special to The Advocate
• Published: Mar 28, 2008 - UPDATED: 6:29 a.m.

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BROUSSARD — Chris Riley used a simple strategy to make difficult conditions seem easy during Thursday’s first round of the $525,000 Chitimacha Louisiana Open.

Riley kept the ball below the turbulent winds blowing across Le Triomphe Country Club during the morning to shoot a tournament-leading 6-under-par 65.

Jeff Klauk, also playing the morning round, finished a stroke behind Riley. Second-round begins today at 7:45 a.m.

Tournament officials are scheduled to cut the 144-player field nearly in half immediately following today’s round.

Riley and Klauk lead a field that is tightly bunched just a few strokes behind.

Travis Perkins, also playing in the morning, is at 67, while three strokes behind Riley are seven golfers.

Four of those golfers, Richard S. Johnson, Greg Owen, Scott Dunlap and Michael Bradley, shot 68 during an early afternoon round in which the wind at times was perhaps strongest.

Dunlap stayed at minus 4 for most of his back nine play, but a bogey on No. 18 potentially cost him a tie with Perkins.

Andrew Dresser and Andrew Bonhomme also reached 3-under during the later afternoon when the stronger winds abated.

”Those were some tough conditions, but overall it was a good round,” said Riley, who is married to Lafayette native and former LSU golfer Michelle Louviere.

Riley said the south wind gusts, which Nationwide Tournament officials said reached as high as 32 miles-per-hour on a mainly open course, became a factor by the start of his fourth hole.

“The greens were also slick. I don’t think the scores will go too low,” Riley said.

Riley said the conditions probably didn’t affect him to severly, since he has a relatively low hitting style.