If Wyndham Clark can figure out how to use his driver, the rest of the Class 4A state golf championship field needs to be on alert.

His tee shots were about the only thing that didn't go well for Clark in Monday's first round of the two-day, 36-hole tournament at Yampa Valley Golf Course. Fortunately for the Valor Christian freshman, everything else did.

Clark blitzed the field with a 4-under-par 66 to take a four-shot lead into today's final round.

"I didn't hit my driver worth a darn (Monday), but my short game and putting were good," Clark said.

His round included four birdies and no bogeys.

"That was my goal (Monday) - not to make bogey," Clark said.

The front nine at Yampa Valley is lined by trees.

"This front side is tight," Clark said. "(It calls for) precision golf."

Valor Christian is a second-year school in Highlands Ranch with fewer than 390 students in grades nine through 11. It is the team's first year of playing Colorado High School Activities Association sanctioned golf.

Temperatures were cool when the team played a practice round Saturday. It was rainy and windy during Sunday's practice round.

"I overclubbed on the first four holes (Monday) because, (during) our practice round, it was so windy," Clark said.

Wind wasn't a factor Monday, although temperatures never climbed above the low 50s.

Clark had the only subpar round of the day. Montrose's Justin Russell and D'Evelyn's Brenden Beeg shot even-par 70s to tie for second.

Russell shot 2 over on the front nine but made it up with three birdies on the back side.

"Russell missed a couple of short putts, one for birdie and one for par, on the front nine.

"If I get that down, I'll be set," he said.

Russell helped Montrose take a slim lead in a tight team race. Only seven shots separated the top five teams.

The Indians shot 221, with Valor Christian two shots behind.

D'Evelyn was third at 224, Greeley Central fourth at 227 and Lewis-Palmer fifth at 228.

First-year Montrose coach Angelo Dejulio realizes the lead is slim but has confidence in his players' ability to produce.

"The kids hung in there, and they've done that all year," he said.