Austin Langdale
CHARLESTON, S.C. (March 21, 2013) -- Austin
Langdale fired a 5-under 66 and sits atop the
leaderboard after the first wave of tee times
in
Round 1 of the 2013 Azalea Invitational at The
Country Club of Charleston.
Langdale, considered the No. 36 junior in the
nation according to Golfweek, went out in 33
and
kept up his hot play, converting birdies on
Nos.
11 and 12. He closed the round in style with a
birdie 3 on the par-4 18th.
The high school senior is one of the top
players in South Carolina and a recent
Clemson
signee.
Brian Westveer, an experienced mid-amateur
from Charlotte, tallied three birdies en route
to
the
morning round’s low score. At 2-under, 69,
he’s
three back of Langdale. Danny Guise of
Greenwich, Conn. also shot 69.
Bo Andrews and Scott Harvey both opened
with 1-under 70s and are tied for fourth place.
Mike Miller, the highest-ranked
player
(5th) in the Golfweek/amateurgolf.com U.S.
Player Rankings, also shot 1-under 70. The
Brewster, N.Y. native decided to leave Penn
State to focus on his amateur schedule and
has followed a terrific 2012 up with a pair of
third-place finishes this year.
Another top mid-am from North Carolina,
Matthew Crenshaw is alone in sixth place after
an even-
par 71.
Former PGA Tour player and the 1997 Azalea
winner, John Engler is tied for sixth at 2-over.
He’s
joined by former U.S. Mid-Am winner Kevin
Marsh.
Four-time U.S. Mid-Am champion Nathan
Smith
shot 4-over 75 and is tied for 12th.
Jim Liu, Golfweek’s top-ranked junior player,
is
seven shots off the pace along with Walker
Cup
hopeful Todd White.
With only 11 players at par or under it, the
story of Round 1 at the Azalea was soaring
scorecards.
Numerous contenders struggled to open the
event.
Being played for the 65th time, the Azalea is
one of the season’s most prized tournaments.
The
prestigious event, held at a club that was first
established in 1786, attracts one of the top
fields in
amateur golf. Past champions include Webb
Simpson, D.J. Trahan and Smith, one of the
top
amateurs to ever play the game.
Amateurgolf.com will have continuing
coverage of the Azalea Invitational,
considered
a ‘Major
of amateurgolf.com’, throughout the weekend.
ABOUT THE Azalea Invitational
72-hole stroke play championship with a 54-hole cut
on a
1925
Seth Raynor design. Good mix of college
players, juniors
and mid amateurs. 7 spots available in a
qualifier.
Impressive list of past champions at this
traditional event. Reigning USGA champs often use
this tournament as a tune-up for the Masters.
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