Durham's DiVincentis in the Mix

Ellie Dutch can thank her boss, her dad, owner of Dutch Oil in East Haddam for allowing her to get back into competitive golf.

After playing number one on the boys team her junior and senior years at Hale-Ray High School, Dutch attended UConn and earned a degree in 2010 in English.

She didn't play much golf at UConn but has gotten back into competitive golf in a big way this summer. Dutch, who won the Massachusetts Open earlier this summer, is tied for first place with an even-par 72 after the first round of the Connecticut Women's Amateur with Mia Landegren of Ridgewood in Danbury.

Sarah Sideranko of New Britain-Stanley is third after a one-over 73 and Liz DiVincentis of Durham-Shuttle Meadow is fourth with a 74.

Defending champion Erica Barnes of Berlin, is playing on her home course. She is in a logjam tied for fifth with three other golfers after shooting a 75. Barnes is tied with Jen Holland who is from Branford but plays out of Lyman Orchards, Michelle Winkler of Wintonbury Hills and Kelly Whaley from Farmington. 

"It was a good round of golf, I only had one bad hole," Dutch said referring to the fifth hole where she pushed her drive right. "The greens are a little slower than I'm used to but they rolled true.  "I played three sports in high school so I was missing the competition after I got out of college. I was able to win the Mass. Open against a stellar field and I will have to play well tomorrow to stay on top."

Barnes, who plays at Hofstra, has a new favorite hole at her home course. She made a hole-in-one last week at the par-three fourth hole and birdied it in the first round Tuesday.

"It's become my new favorite hole," she said. "I hit it pretty poorly today. I drove it OK but my full swing game was really bad. My putting and chipping saved me." She found herself in a green side bunker on the first hole and then skulled a shot down the hill over the green into low brush. she punched out, chipped up and made the putt for "the best bogey of my life."

Holland, a former winner, said her familiarity with the course helped. "There was nothing out of the ordinary today," said the Branford resident. "I made a couple birdies, one of them should have been an eagle. I left the eagle putt on the lip on 13. I have played here quite a bit so I know the course and I played pretty well. I had a few up and downs to keep the round going. 

"I like my position. Sometimes I think it is easier to come back from a few shots behind. It's supposed to b a beautiful day so it should be fun."

DiVincentis, who will enter her senior year at Coginchaug in Durham next month, is right were she wants to be, in contention with one round to go.

"I was one-under on the front and three over on the back but I played pretty well," she said. "I have been having a tough time with my putter but I improved putting a lot today. I birdied every par-three except 16. "It's tough to be in the lead going into the last round. I've been there before. so I'm excited about where I am. I have played a lot of practice rounds here so I'm comfortable and I definitely have confidence going into [Wednesday]."