Folsom-Broussard chasing Gerdes-Tidwell at Cherry Blossom tourney

When Shannon Folsom and Justin Broussard saw their first-round pairing for the Cherry Blossom Tournament at Bowden Golf Course on Saturday, they got even more excited about their weekend.

The two-time defending champions were joined in their foursome by seven-time Cherry Blossom winner Lee Gerdes and his partner, Coleman Tidwell, who is one of the best golfers in Macon.

The two teams fed off of each other the entire day, with Gerdes and Tidwell ending with a 62, edging Folsom and Broussard, who shot a 63, for the first-round lead.

"No doubt, we were happy to get a chance to play with them," Broussard said. "Those two guys have been winning for a long time, and that is what we want to do. We both know that we are still trying to make a name for ourselves around here, and we know that we have to keep winning if we are going to do that."

Both teams started strong, shooting 4 under for the first nine holes, and Gerdes and Tidwell added two birdies on the first three holes on the back nine while Folsom and Broussard added one. If that wasn't good enough, both teams had birdies on the next four holes before pars on the final two. Folsom was particularly strong with three straight birdies on Nos. 14, 15 and 16, while Gerdes and Tidwell both had two birdies during that stretch.

"When both teams are playing like that, it really gets interesting, and both teams are just trying not to give up a stroke," Tidwell said. "We knew that these guys have won the last two years, and we definitely fed off of each other. I think it probably helps playing with a team that is really good, and it makes for a fun round of golf."

Folsom and Broussard, who are 31 and 32, respectively, had a number in their heads when they started the round.

"Obviously you don't want to shoot yourself out of the tournament in the first round, and we thought 8 under would be a good score for us," Folsom said. "We shot 9 under and are right in the thick of things, so we have to be happy about that."

Gerdes (49) and Tidwell (46) had a simple strategy.

"We go out and try to make as many birdies as we can, and we try very hard to stay away from bogey," Gerdes said. "I know that we are getting a little bit older now, but I just love to compete. It should make for a very competitive Sunday."

The team of Bubba Blalock and Stephen Young is in third place after shooting a first-round 64.

This story was originally published March 19, 2016 at 6:54 PM with the headline "Folsom-Broussard chasing Gerdes-Tidwell at Cherry Blossom tourney ."