If Bob Vidricksen can protect his two-stroke lead today at Alvamar, he’ll do more than win the Kansas Golf Assn.’s Mid-Amateur Championship.

He’ll make history.

Vidricksen, 55, carded a 2-under 70 in the first round on a sunny, breezy Monday, and no golfer over 50 has won the KGA event in its 15-year history. Roger Brown was 44 when he won the inaugural tournament in 1989 at Alvamar, and Bill Mosimann also was 44 when he won the 1996 event at Topeka Country Club. They are the oldest golfers to win the 36-hole event — so far.

“You’re playing against so many good players, and there are a lot of younger players,” said Vidricksen, a Salina resident who is a sales representative for Steel and Pipe Supply in Manhattan. “You have to shoot a low score to compete.”

Vidricksen not only had the lowest score Monday, he was the only golfer in the 144-man field under par.

He started his round on the par-4 10th and parred his first four holes before making birdie on No. 14. His only bogey came on No. 16, but after a birdie on 18 he made the turn at 1-under. He reached 2-under with another birdie on No. 1 and finished with eight consecutive pars.

“I kept the ball out of the deep rough, and that made the difference,” said Vidricksen, who finished fourth last year at Shawnee Country Club in Topeka.

Seeking relief from back pain, Vidricksen lost 30 pounds during the winter. While friends took note of the slimmed-down golfer Monday, he said his newfound form hadn’t helped his game.

“I haven’t been playing well this spring,” he said. “Just in the last week I’ve been hitting it better. I think the warmer weather is helping.”

Unlike many of the men chasing him, Vidricksen didn’t play golf in high school or college. He started taking the game seriously after giving up fastpitch softball at age 40.

“I needed a new summertime passion, and golf was it,” he said. “I’m pretty remorseful I didn’t start sooner, but it’s fun right now.”

When the Mid-Amateur resumes at 8 a.m. today, there will be five men within two shots of the lead. Former Kansas State golf coach Mark Elliott of Silver Lake, Kurt Lorenzen of Olathe, Aaron Aubuchon of Overland Park, Tim Tyner of Council Grove and Chad Judd of Olathe were tied for second at 72.

Aubuchon bogeyed Nos. 3, 9 and 15 but birdied No. 6 and eagled the 524-yard, par-5 No. 11 when he rolled in a 50-foot putt.

“That felt good, especially considering I had just three-putted on No. 9,” said Aubuchon, a former Pittsburg State golfer who was runner-up last year in the Public Links Championship at Rolling Meadows Golf Course in Junction City.

Two past champions also were within striking distance. Former Kansas University golfer Alan Stearns, the 1998 champion from Overland Park, was in a group of four at 73. Defending champion Trent Brown of Arkansas City was in a group of three at 74.