Brad Nurski is on his way to a repeat performance in the Fairview Golf Course Men's Club Championship. But he'll have to wade through a crowded field to earn back-to-back titles.

The power-hitting lefthander sits tied with Matt Thrasher for first place after the first round of the two-day tournament. Both players shot a 3-under 69.

Nurski is the defending champ after he edged out Mark Korell last year to notch his seventh title. Korell is not far behind after posting an even-par round of 72, tied for third with Caleb Carter, who also turned in a round of 72.

That quartet of players will be paired in today's final round.

"Everybody in the final group can play good and light it up, so you really never know," Nurski said. "I really expect them all to be in contention for the final day of the tournament."

Of the four members of the final group, three played in the recent Missouri Amateur Championship held at St. Joseph Country Club. Nurski, Korell and Carter each advanced past stroke play and into the match-play portion of the state's top amateur competition.

Korell lost in the first round, Nurski in the second, while Carter - a Missouri Western golfer and Benton graduate - made a surprise run to the quarterfinals for a top-eight finish.

Thrasher?

He caddied Korell's first three rounds before taking Brian Haskell's bag on his run to the match-play semifinals.

"(Thrasher) didn't come out of anywhere; he has been playing well this year," Nurski said. "He has always had the capabilities but just hasn't been able to do it here for the past couple years."

Last year, Thrasher did not even place in the tournament but now finds himself with the best shot to dethrone Nurski. Thrasher said he carded a few birdie holes that were uncharacteristic but also bogeyed a few he would like back.

Regardless, the 2004 city champion is just glad to be among the best again.

"It has been quite a few years since I have actually been in contention," Thrasher said. "It is nice to get back in the final group. It has been a lot of years since I have been in the last group and played decent."

Nurski started the day out struggling a bit but admitted that an eagle on No. 14 really turned things around and helped him turn in a good round of golf. The general consensus of the participants was that the putting greens were a bit long today, contributing to some of the higher scores.

"The greens were a little tall, but you know they got to keep them alive," Thrasher said.

After Korell and Carter at 72, the next group of contenders were at 3-over 75 - six shots off Nurski and Thrasher's pace.

Haskell is not entered in this year's tournament as he prepares for next week's U.S. Amateur Public Links championship held at Jimmie Austin/OU Golf Club in Norman, Okla. Open to amateur golfers who are not members of private clubs, the 43-year-old St. Joseph resident won a June regional qualifier at Dub's Dread Golf Club in Kansas City, Kan.

The tournament begins Monday with the first of two stroke-play rounds before the field is trimmed to a 64-man match-play bracket.

Moila Country Club Championship

Greg Diederich, Jr. might be one of St. Joseph's top golfers, but his first-round performance Saturday at the Moila Country Club Championship has him in position to win a tournament.

A frequent competitor for Brad Nurski, Brian Haskell and Mark Korell at the Fairview Club Championship, Diederich joined Moila this year and skipped the crosstown tournament full of big names. He shot a 3-under 68 at Moila to grab the lead, carding the only round under par.

Diederich enters today's final round in the final group, a quartet squarely separated from the rest of the championship flight.

Don Chancey and Gary Kirkpatrick, Jr. trail Diederich by three after matching 71s, while Terry Hochenauer sits five shots back with his first-round 73. Diederich appears the favorite among that group.

"As long as I keep it in check and don't do anything stupid, I feel really confident," said Diederich, who recently joined the aforementioned trio in the match-play portion of the Missouri Amateur Championship held at St. Joseph Country Club.

"I've played (Moila) enough, I've played it well enough. I've just got to find a way to get rid of the bone-head mistakes."

Diederich put up six birdies in the first round but allowed the field to stay close with a few errors. He gave three shots back with bogeys at Nos. 3, 6 and 17 with the most glaring flub a three-putt on the 400-yard par-4 third from just outside of 20 feet.

"Unfortunately with the score I shot, it was a good round, but I left a lot out there," Diederich said. "It was very scoreable today, and I didn't take advantage of it. But I'm not complaining."

Sports correspondent Travis Hartman can be reached at npsports@npgco.com; Assistant sports editor Ross Martin contributed to this report.