TOLUCA LAKE, June 16 — 2006 California Amateur champion Jordan Nasser of Anaheim Hills, Grant Rappleye of Elk Grove and Nick Delio of Valencia can each claim a share of the lead after the first round of the 97th California Amateur Championship.

Because the stroke play portion of one of the nation’s oldest continuously contested amateur golf championships is being played over courses with different pars, determining a leader after the first round is somewhat problematic.

Nasser and Rappleye each shot 5-under-par 67 over the par-72 Oakmont Country Club layout in Glendale.  Delio posted a 66 at Lakeside Golf Club in Burbank but because that course is a par 70, he is just 4 under par.  The fields switch courses for the second round tomorrow, so things will even out when Tuesday’s play is finished.

All three leaders played nearly flawless golf.  Rappleye had five birdies and no bogeys on his card.  Nasser posted six birdies against a lone bogey and Delio had five birdies and one bogey at Lakeside.

Defending champion Josh Anderson of Murrieta opened with a 1-over-par 73 today at Oakmont CC.  One of the pre-tournament favorites, Tim Hogarth of Northridge, struggled to a 3-over-par 75 at Oakmont but moves to Lakeside tomorrow where he has won four consecutive Kelly Cups (Lakeside’s annual invitational).

After tomorrow’s second round, the field will be trimmed from 156 golfers to 32, who will advance to match play that begins Wednesday at Lakeside GC.  The second round of match play will be played Thursday, quarterfinals and semifinals are scheduled for Friday and the 36-hole championship match will be played Saturday.  All matches are at Lakeside.

In the annual North-South competition for the Roger Lapham Challenge Cup, played concurrently with the two stroke-play rounds, the North has taken an eight-shot lead after the first round, which was contested at Oakmont CC.  With the best five of six scores each day counting for the team total, the North leads 357-365, hoping to reverse a trend that has seen the South win the last two years.  Since 1990 when the current stroke-play format began, the South leads the series 12-6.

View complete hole-by-hole scores HERE.