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EAST AURORA, NY. -- The 28th NYS Super Senior and 2nd Legends Amateur Championships kicked off Tuesday at Crag Burn Golf Club. 84 of New York State's top players aged 65 and older took to the Robert Trent Jones Sr. designed course on a warm, but breezy day in Western New York. 

Round 1 saw some new faces at the top of the leaderboard. Rick Dehlinger of Brookfield CC, playing in one of his first New York State events, grabbed hold of the 18 hole lead in the Super Senior. 

Related: Scoring / Pairings / Championship Central / Photos / Preview 

Dehlinger drilled a testy, winding birdie putt on his last hole of the day (#9) to enter the clubhouse at even par. The Buffalo-area player was the only competitor in the Super Senior field to finish at or under par. He made eight pars and a bogey on his opening nine, before making a hodgepodge of birdies and bogies on the back. Dehlinger will take a two stroke lead heading into the final round. 

"Putting was really the key for me today," said Dehlinger after his round. "I really did myself some favors with the flat stick." 

Kevin Webb of Clifton Springs Country Club finished the day at two over par, two strokes behind Dehlinger. Webb, who is coming off a Senior Mixed Team Championship earlier this month with his wife Lisa, struggled out of the gate and was four over thru his first five holes. Birdies on 7 and 13 brought him to back to two over par. 

Thomas Fletcher of Tuscarora GC and David Prowler of the Woodside Club each turned in a 78 (+6) and will enter Wednesday six off the lead. Both players are past New York State Senior champions, with Fletcher taking it in 2015 at Onondaga G&CC and Prowler in 2017 at Crag Burn. 

Crag Burn was set up at 6,147 yards for the Super Seniors and played to a par of 72. 

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Craig McIntyre of Transit Valley Country Club fired the only under par round of the day to secure an early lead in the Legends field. McIntyre opened with two straight bogeys, but ended up making four birdies and cruised into the clubhouse with a four-stroke lead. McIntyre won the 2020 BDGA Legends Championship at his home course of Transit Valley. 

"I didn't make a whole lot of mistakes out there," said McIntyre in a post-round interview. "I was patient and it got tough with the wind in the afternoon. I still have a long ways to go, it was only the first round."

Behind McIntyre was Dave Benedict of Brook-Lea Country Club. Benedict turned in a 75 (+3) and will enter the final round four shots behind McIntyre. Defending champion John Benware of Binghamton Country Club and James Newhouse of Crag Burn Golf Club each carded four over rounds of 76. Last year's runner-up Jim Burns, of Durand Eastman remains within striking distance after opening with a 77 (+5). 

Crag Burn was set up at 5,473 yards for the Legends and played to a par of 72. 

Final round play will resume tomorrow morning at 7:30 am, with times running off both the 1st and 10th tees until 9:27am.