What is your favorite kind of links’ fowl? Big birds or little birdies?

In the game of golf, they all count the same. But if Mike Potts had a preference, it would be the short ones.

On Saturday morning at par-72, 5,734-yard Pine Meadows Golf Course, during the opening round of the 30th annual Lebanon County Better-Ball-of-Partners tournament, Potts was on fire, but more with his irons than his blade.

Potts scored six birdies – mostly from short range – to help him and partner Jesse Brown to the first-round lead at the Lebanon County Golf Association’s most popular event. Sticking approach shot after approach shot close to the pin, Potts and Brown fired a blistering eight-under par 64 to take a three-shot advantage into the second and final day of the 36-hole event.

After starting on Pine Meadows’ Number Six test, Potts closed out his team’s round with short birdies at Numbers One and Five. He also converted short birdies at Numbers Eight and 15.

In addition, Potts chipped in for birdie at the par-five, tenth hole.

 – Jeff Falk