PALM HARBOR, FL -- An international logjam of six players, including a trio of California collegians, tied for the first-round lead Wednesday in the 105th Southern Amateur at Innisbrook Resort. Among the leading group at 4-under-par 67 is UCLA junior Gregor Main, who won this tournament two years ago in Memphis.
Main, 22, canned a 10-foot birdie putt on the difficult final hole to join the leaders, two of whom are from college rivals Southern Cal and Stanford. “There’s something about this tournament that seems to make me play good,” said Main. “My game feels really good and it would be great to win the Southern Am twice.”
Also off to a 67 start are Stanford junior Andrew Yun, who recently led the U.S. team to Palmer Cup victory by winning all four of his matches; Southern Cal-bound teen Anthony Paolucci from Rancho Santa Fe, CA; Patrick Rodgers of Avon, IN; Hunter Hamrick, two-time Alabama am champ from Montgomery; and Cheng Tsung Pan from Taiwan.
The Southern Amateur field, which includes players from 25 states and 11 foreign countries, will be cut to the low 66 and ties after Thursday’s second round. The storied event concludes Saturday, the champion earning an automatic invitation to play in the PGA Tour Arnold Palmer Invitational next spring in Orlando.
ABOUT THE
Southern Amateur
The Southern Amateur, which dates back to 1902, is
one of two competitions held by the Southern Golf
Association (the other is the Southern Junior). This
is a 72-hole stroke play championship with a cut
made after 36 holes. Entries are open to any male
amateur golfer who has a current USGA Handicap
Index® not exceeding 3.4 under the USGA Handicap
System. Non-exempt players must pre-qualify at
one of the qualifying sites held across the southern
U.S. in the two months leading up to the
championship.
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