Grove 3 back after first round of Lilac

Only 11 of the 31 pros entered in the Lilac City Invitational broke par during the first round at The Fairways near Cheney.

North Idaho College men’s and women’s golf coach Russell Grove, the 2013 Lilac champion, shot a 3-under par 69 and is tied for third.

Shane Prante of Olympia, Wash., shot a 6-under 66 and leads by two strokes over Drew Reinland of Clarkston Country Club and Li Wang of the Sahalee Country Club.

Jason Kimmel of Coeur d’Alene Golf Club shot 76.

In the championship amateur flight, Preston Roth, formerly of Lakeland High and Community Colleges of Spokane, and a rising senior at Whitworth, shot 76 and is in second place, and Cameron Flores, a recent Post Falls High grad, shot 78 and is in sixth place.

The 72-hole tournament runs through Sunday.