SALEM — Keowee Falls is quite a ways from Rungsted Kyst, Denmark, but Patrick Winther made himself right at home Saturday in the first round of the AJGA Cliffs Championship at The Cliffs at Keowee Falls.

The Denmark native blistered the par-72 course with a 66, good enough for a two-stroke lead over T.J. Vogel.

Richard Werenski finished the day with a 69 to stay in the hunt, while Easley’s Corbin Mills carded a 74 to put him eight strokes behind the leader.

Winther was hot from start to finish, scoring 32 on the front nine and finishing up with a 34 on the 6,808-yard layout.

Starting on No. 10, the 15-year-old had four consecutive birdies.

“I usually have some problems with bad starts,” Winther said. “At the beginning of the round, I hit some good shots and I felt more positive. After that I made some putts and just kept going from there.”

After a bogey on No. 1, his 10th hole of the day, Winther bounced back with birdies on Nos. 2 and 5 for a second-nine 2-under-par 34.

On the girls side Seneca High School’s Austin Ernst is very much in the mix after closing her round with a 73. That’s three off the pace set by Riverdale, Ga.’s, Mariah Stackhouse, who grabbed the lead with a two-under 70.

The layout of The Cliffs for the girls is 5,969-yards.

Seventy-eight players, between the ages of 12-18, from 18 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, Northern Ireland and Denmark are competing. Tee times for today’s final round are set for 8 a.m. off the first and 10th tees, and an awards ceremony will immediately follow play.