Air Cap notes: Former Shocker Ryan Spears shoots season-best 64

The more Ryan Spears tees it up at the Air Capital Classic, the better the results seem to get.

Spears, a former Wichita State golfer in his fourth season on the Web.com Tour, got an early start in Thursday’s opening round and shot a 6-under-par 64 at Crestview Country Club.

It was a season-low score for the 30-year-old Spears, a Midwest City, Okla., native who now lives in Wichita. It was also his best in nine career Web.com rounds on Crestview’s North course.

Spears is 95th on the Web.com’s money list this season, earning $24,980 in 12 tournaments. But after tying for 14th in last year’s Air Capital Classic, Spears sensed a trip back home could be fruitful.

“After last year, being in the hunt and having a chance on the back nine on Sunday just took all that pressure off me,” Spears said. “I knew this year was going to be so much easier than the last couple years.”

Nobody in the 156-player field has played Crestview more than Spears, who interned at the course in college and played it as part of WSU’s regular practice rotation. But that didn’t translate to instant success for him as a professional, as he missed the cut in his first two Air Capital Classic appearances.

Those were distant memories Thursday, as Spears followed up his lone bogey with five birdies and an eagle in his final 12 holes.

Spears, who was four top-10 finishes in 85 career Web.com tournaments, has tried to stay positive in his quest to move to his game to a higher level.

“There’s some frustration, but you’ve got to stick to what’s out in front of you,” Spears said. “If you start dwelling in the past, which I’ve done before, it’s just going to the be the same old scenario.

“If you don’t play well one day, then maybe the next day is yours.”

Long time, no see – Tour veteran Jonathan Byrd was part of Thursday’s scoring frenzy, joining eight golfers who posted 64s in the morning round.

Not bad considering the 38-year-old Byrd last played at Crestview in 2001, his rookie season and the first year that the Air Capital Classic was played on the North course.

“I remembered the practice facility. I did not remember much of the golf course,” said Byrd, who tied for 31st the year Jason Dufner won the title.

Byrd earned his PGA Tour card that year and parlayed it into five victories and more than $18 million in career earnings. But with conditional status on the PGA Tour this season, he has elected to focus on retooling his game on the Web.com.

Byrd has three top-10 finishes this season and is 22nd on the money list. He said he has been energized by the talented young players on the Web.com and their fearlessness.

“Fifteen years is a long time ago,” Byrd said. “I’ve got great memories of playing the Web.com Tour that year. It was a stepping stone for me to get to the PGA Tour and it was a fun year.

“It’s not good to be back and yet it is good to be back. You try to feed off those memories, get some good mojo and get your game going back in the right direction.”

Good day for Gellerman – Sterling native Michael Gellerman saw his chance for a share of the early first-round lead slide by the hole on a short birdie attempt at No. 18.

But it was by far the former Oklahoma standout’s best opening round in three career Web.com tournaments.

“We had a good game plan out there and followed it really, really well,” said Gellerman, who started last year’s Air Capital Classic with a 75 and carded an opening-round 76 in the Rust-Oleum Championship two weeks ago. “I hit fairways, hit greens and had a chip-in that probably made up for missing a two-footer on the last hole.

“But all in all, it was a good day. I’m not going to complain about a 64.”

Etc. – Former British Open champion Ben Curtis shot a 69 in his first Air Capital Classic appearance. Curtis, who won at Royal St. George’s in 2003 in his major championship debut, is playing in his 19th career Web.com event this week. … Cameron Bishop, who works on Crestview’s outside services crew when he’s not competing, shot 73 after earning his first Web.com start through Monday qualifying. … Former Kansas golfer Chris Thompson carded a 71. Thompson played his way into the field with a top-25 finish last week at Nashville. … Web.com officials said the weather-delayed first round will resume at 7:30 a.m. Friday morning.

This story was originally published June 23, 2016 at 7:53 PM with the headline "Air Cap notes: Former Shocker Ryan Spears shoots season-best 64."