Wesley Bryan and Andrew Putnam are a study in contrast when it comes to sharing the lead after Monday's first round of qualifying for the U. S. Amateur being played at Pinehurst Resort this week.

Both carded 3-under-par 67s on the opening day of the weeklong national amateur championship. But with qualifying being held on both Pinehurst Nos. 2 and 4, the two reached their red numbers on different courses. They also arrived at Pinehurst from different coasts.

Bryan, who lives in South Carolina, scrambled his way around the Donald Ross-designed No. 2 in posting his score, while Putnam, who hails from the state of Washington and plays for Pepperdine University in California, tackled the Tom Fazio bunker-laced, thick-roughed No. 4 in shooting his 67.

"I hit four highways and scrambled around all day," Bryan said. "I was hitting it so far off line that I had some good lies in the pinestraw and on the packed down cart paths. You name it, I was on it. I got it up-and-down from everywhere."

Bryan is one of six University of South Carolina golfers in the championship, including his brother, George Bryan IV.

Bryan also went out in the early groupings of the 315-player field, while Putnam pulled an afternoon tee time.

Six other players were one stroke behind Bryan, including Isaiah Telles, who fired a 68 on No. 4 that included an eagle 3 on the par 5, 17th hole.

"I missed a lot of putts until my eagle on 17," Telles said. "That was the first putt I made all day. I don't hit the ball very far, so if I didn't hit the fairways, it wasn't going to be pretty. It could have been a lot better. I missed a lot of putts. But I have no complaints."

Two North Carolina players joined Telles in the six-way tie for first, Matt Cook of Cullowhee and Barden Berry of Kinston.

Twelve other players posted red numbers, coming in with one-under-par 69s.