Matt Nicholas made the turn at 5-under on Friday during the opening round of the 46th annual Lake Charles City Championship at Mallard Golf Club. (Rodrick Anderson / Ameriacn Press)

Sometimes you have to take the good with the bad.

Matt Nicholas blistered the front nine on Friday in the first round of the Lake Charles City Championship at Mallard Golf Club. The back nine was a different story, but he still found himself in familiar territory as the first-round leader.

“Ultimately, it was a good start and a good day,” Nicholas said. “I have been playing well when I do play.”

Nicholas was the lone golfer in the Championship Flight to shoot under par. He entered the clubhouse with a 3-under 69. Nicholas, who won his fifth title in 2023 and tied for second last year, was golden early with birdies on Nos. 3, 4, 5, 8 and 9.

“On the range, I started swinging really well, so I just trusted what I had going out there,” Nicholas said. “I played really well on the front.

“I was in total control of my golf balls. It was hitting it where I wanted to. It was really fun front nine.”

He opened the back nine with back-to-back bogeys. After a brief respite, he took another bogey on the par-4 14th hole, but he never lost the lead and regained composure with a birdie on No. 16.

“I get to the back and I had an in-between yardage shot,” Nicholas said. “I probably made an error with a club, and then it just compounded into a three-putt.

“I didn’t hit it as well on the back. My iron play was a tad off, but towards the end, I started to correct it. I knew what I was doing wrong.”

The five-time champion, who won his first city title in 2001, said he can keep the lead if he stays steady, despite a field full of younger golfers.

“Are they capable of shooting 8 or 9 under, sure,” Nicholas said. “They hit it so far, but as long as I am controlling the golf ball like I did today, it will take some good golf to beat me.”

Mallard played tough Friday with difficult pin positions and extreme heat. Aside from Nicholas, the only other golfers who spent time under par were John Morrissey and Blake DeReese. Morrissey started the day with a birdie on No. 1 but was 1 over at the turn. DeReese, the 2007 champ, got under par with a birdie on No. 14 but stumbled into the clubhouse with a bogey on Nos. 14 and 18 and a double bogey on No. 17.

2017 champion Gage Primeaux pulled within three shots of Nicholas after a birdie on No. 16 but dropped a stroke on the next hole and carded a 1-over 73.

Primeaux was tied with two-time champ Jacob Lejeune, Morrissey, and Grant Trahan for third place, while Charles Spence is alone in second and three shots behind Nicholas at 72.

Championship Fight

First round scores

Matt Nicholas 31-38—69

Charles Spence 36-36—72

Gage Primeaux 36-37—73

Jacob Lejeune 39-34—73

Garrett Trahan 37-36—73

John Morrissey 36-37—73

Kye Hanks 36-38—74

Landen East 37-37—74

Cameron Langley 36-38—74

Zachary Robertson 38-37—75

Collin Jones 37-39—76

Blake DeReese 36-40—76

Thad Gaspard 37-41—78

Billy Gabbert 40-38—78

Harry Shaheen 38-42—80

Chris Hood 39-41—80

Christian McCleon 40-41—80

Blake Marceaux 39-42—81

Alex Augustine 43-39—82

46th annual Lake Charles City Championship

At Mallard Golf Club

Tee times

Championship Flight

8:00 a.m. — Matt Nicholas, Charles Spence, Gage Primeaux.

8:08 a.m. — Jacob Lejeune, John Morrissey, Garrett Trahan, Kye Hanks.

8:16 a.m. — Landen East, Cameron Langley, Zachary Robertson, Blake DeReese.

8:24 a.m. — Collin Jones, Thad Gaspard, Billy Gabbert, Chris Hood.

8:32 a.m. — Bear Shaheen, Blake Marceaux, Christian McCleon, Alex Augustine.

First Flight

8:40 a.m. — Cody Stoud, Tyler Istre, Kolby Trosclair.

8:48 a.m. — Corey Theriot, Cody Small, David Martin, Cody Lewis.

8:56 a.m. — Dustin Bertrand, Kane Hanks, Cristian Gette, Paul Hensley.

Second Flight

9:04 a.m. — Garrison Connell, Evan Comeaux, Austin Creel, Patrick Osborne.

9:12 a.m. — Dustin Ratliff, Jason Catcher, Josh Trucke, Chance Curlee.

9:20 a.m. — Jaxson Caldwell, Grant LaRocca, Noah Hinton, Cole Bergeron.

Third Flight

9:28 a.m. — James Karam, Matt Stewart, Travis Furs.

9:36 a.m. — Samuel Lepage, Zachary Nicholas, Bill Hamrick, Brandon Nowlin.

9:44 a.m. — Mark Ledoux, Cory Breaux, Dustin Perron, Kolby Delino.

Fourth Flight

9:52 a.m. — Marshall Alexander, Anthony Hampton, Blake Reynolds.

10:00 a.m. — Andrew Hebert, George Wilkerson, Ryan Benoit, Jason James.

10:08 a.m. — Trey Quinn, Drew Beard, Same Wade, Wesley Littleton.

Fifth Flight

10:16 a.m. — David Poole, Trent Manuel, Cody Oliver, Grabriel LaLande.

10:24 a.m. — Jeff Spears, Derrick Fendley, Chase Parmentier, Ryan Ardoin.

Senior A Flight

10:32 a.m. — Kevin Primeaux, Troy Higgonbotham, Byron Martin.

10:40 a.m. — Walt Dulany, David Huber, Charles Manuel.

10:48 a.m. — Doug Quienalty, Donnie Abshire, Brian LaRocca.

Senior B Flight

10:56 a.m. — Billy Creel, Mike Beglis, Doyle Carter.

11:04 a.m. — Mike Farley, Jonathan Courville, Kevin Snyder.

11:12 a.m. — Ricky Menard, Joseph Bourgeois, Carl Cole.

Senior C Flight

11:20 a.m. — Chad Langley, Joseph Adaway, Mike Holland.

11:28 a.m. — Chris Fontenot, Trent Trahan, Todd Fontenot.

11:36 a.m. — Robert Cameron, Scott Landreneau, Brent Soileau, Greg Comeaux.

Super Senior A Flight

11:44 a.m. — Lloyd Guillory, Marcus Leonard, Charlie Buller, Kurt Hamilton.

11:52 a.m. — William Wiese, Sid Bradley, Wendell Christian, Pap Williams.

Super Senior B Flight

12:00 p.m. — Kevin Broussard, Karl Bertrand, Michael Carter.

12:08 p.m. — Val East, Michael Rousseau, Lindsay Barnes, Barry Hood.

12:16 p.m. — Sam Marsiglia, Ricky Anderson, Gene Loar, Samuel Baynes.