OOLTEWAH, Tenn. (AP) — Grayson Murray shot a 6-under 66 in grabbing the first round lead at the 108th Southern Amateur at The Honors Course.
Murray, from Raleigh, North Carolina, birdied four straight holes Wednesday on his back nine, and took a two-stroke lead after 18 holes. Trevor Cone of Concord, North Carolina, and Geoff Drakeford of Australia each shot 68.
Defending Southern Amateur champ Zach Olsen from Memphis, Tennessee, opened with a 76.
Murray, who transferred from Duke to Arizona State where he will be a junior this fall, hit driver only three times so he could hit mid-irons into the greens. During his consecutive birdies, his longest putt was 7 feet.
The winner of the 72-hole event will receive a spot in the PGA Tour’s Arnold Palmer Invitational.
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