Upton fires 78 in Reno event

Lynda Upton didn't play as well as she would have like, but still found herself in a solid position after the first round of the West Coast Ladies Golf Tour's Reno Women's Open.

Upton, a 1997 Carson High graduate who went on to be a standout for the University of Nevada, fired a 6-over-par 78 on Tuesday in Tuesday's first round at Wolf Run Golf Club. The three-day tournament will conclude on Thursday.

Upton found herself in 26th place out of 66 players on Tuesday, placing her within range to finish in the money. Indiana's Natalie Tucker led after shooting a 67 on Tuesday.

While Upton was playing on her home course from the days when she played at Nevada, she said her performance could have been better.

"It went all right," said Upton about Tuesday's round. "It could have been a lot better. I putted poorly. I hit the ball as well as I wanted to."

Upton said the greens were "pretty quick" which made for somewhat difficult putting conditions.

The West Coast Ladies Tour helps players aspiring to make the LPGA Tour a chance to gain experience.

"You get to have the experience and make some money while you play golf," Upton said. Upton decided to pursue a professional career after she graduated from Nevada in 2001 and has played on the West Coast Ladies Tour since 2002. The tour generally provides $20,000 in prize money for each event with the top 25 receiving prize money. Throughout the season, Upton has usually finished in the middle of the pack or just out of the money, but has been able to win $1,257 in prize money.

One highlight came a couple of weeks ago when Upton finished 24th and won $403 in a tournament in which the top three players advanced to the LPGA Qualifying School. The score needed to advance to the Q-school was 220 and Upton finished with a three-day total of 233.