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Amateur Tryon shares lead

Ty Tryon, a 17-year-old amateur who will be entering his junior year of high school in the fall, fired a seven-under 65 on Thursday to share the first-round lead of the B.C. Open with Edward Fryatt.

Brian Watts, Brad Fabel, Mark Hensby, Jeff Hart and 2001 Tucson Open champion Garrett Willis share third place at minus-six.

This is Tryon's second PGA Tour event. He qualified for the Honda Classic in March, where he became the youngest player to make a cut on the PGA Tour since 15-year-old Bob Panasik accomplished the feat at the 1957 Canadian Open.

Tryon used three birdies in a row at the end of his round to get to the top of the leaderboard. At the 212-yard, par-three 14th, Tryon played a seven-iron to 12 feet to set up birdie. He holed a five-footer at 15, then added a nine-foot birdie at No. 16.

"I'm happy and excited about what I did," said Tryon. "My swing started to feel good. There is still a lot of golf to play yet though."

Tryon did not get off to a great start Thursday as he bogeyed the first hole and missed a six-foot birdie at the second. He carded five birdies on the rest of his front nine, including a 20-footer on the ninth.

One of the reasons that Tryon is in this week's field might have to do with his grandfather, William Tryon II. He was a three-time New York state amateur champion who lives in the area and, like many of Tryon's friends and family, was in attendance Thursday at En-Joie Golf Club.

"I'm playing a pro tournament and all my family and friends are here. It's great. And I'm playing well," said Tryon. "I'm pretty focused and stuff, but I just want to have a good time because not many 17-year-olds get this opportunity. So I just want to enjoy it, too."

Fryatt's hot start jumped him into the lead early. He opened his first round on the back nine and holed a 10-foot birdie at 10 and then two-putted from 40 feet for birdie at the par-five 12th.

Fryatt birdied the next two holes before his first mistake of the round. He hit a poor drive and followed with a poor pitch for a bogey at No. 14.

"I'm happy to shoot seven-under. I hope to continue the next three days," said Fryatt, whose best finish on tour this season was a tie for 11th at the Phoenix Open. "I have been struggling this year. I still have a long way to go this year. I'm still in good position despite that."

Jim McGovern, D.A. Weibring, Doug Dunakey, Jonathan Kaye, Mark Carnevale, Mike Sposa, Chris Tidland, Ronnie Black, Brett Quigley, Robin Freeman, Mike Hulbert and Jeff Sluman, who beat Tryon's father in a New York State junior amateur event many years ago, are tied for eighth at minus-five.

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