Williamson, a 33-year-old from Cincinnati who played collegiately at Akron, shot a 5-under 66 at Kirtland Country Club.
WILLOUGHBY, Ohio -- Probably like many attorneys across the country on Tuesday, Bill Williamson played golf in the morning and went to work in the afternoon.
Unlike many attorneys, Williamson did his work on the practice range and putting greens and not in an office building or courtroom.
Williamson, a 33-year-old from Cincinnati who played his college golf at the University of Akron, shot a 5-under 66 to take the first-round lead in the 104th annual Ohio Amateur at Kirtland Country Club.
It's not like Williamson avoided his real job all together. After his round of seven birdies, two bogeys and nine pars made him one of just 10 players in the field of 144 to break even-par 70, he found a secluded spot to do some corporate law work before returning to the course to practice.
Williamson, who won the Ohio Mid-Amateur championship last year, has a two-shot lead over 19-year-old Nick Reardon, from Dublin, and Pete Zamborsky, the head golf coach at Wright State in Dayton, when the second of four rounds gets underway Wednesday.
Mike Bernard, a 16-year-old from Huber Heights, and Dave Becher, from Dublin, were tied at 69 and five players, including Shaker Heights' Mac McLaughlin and Westfield Center's Parker Hewit, were in at 70.
Williamson, who stays in shape by running, arrived at Kirtland too late on Monday to play a full practice round, so he played the back nine and jogged the front just to get a look at the course. His score reflected it as he played the back side in 4-under 32.
McLaughlin, a Kirtland member, could have been one shot out of the lead but suffered a triple-bogey seven on the 425-yard 18th hole (his ninth of the day) when his second shot went over the green, which slopes drastically back to front.
"If you go over it's impossible to get it up and down," said McLaughlin, a former Plain Dealer player of the year who just completed his freshman year at Virginia. "I guarantee you I will not make triple bogey there again."
Like many of the younger players in the field, McLaughlin, a graduate of University School, remained confident that he can become the first player in 16 years from Greater Cleveland to win the tournament. The last local to do so was Bob Fairchild in 1993.
You can count Bernard in the group of those brimming with confidence.
"I think I have the ability to win, definitely," said Berhard, who will be a junior at Wayne High School. "I mean, obviously, I have to play good, but I don't think there's anyone out here who can beat me when I'm playing at my best."