Tyler Schafer (AJGA photo)
CARLSBAD, Calif. (Jan. 6, 2018) – It was a colorful day of scoring for
Tyler Schafer, but nonetheless, he made it around Aviara Golf Club in even par. That was enough to set up Schafer, a freshman at Long Beach State, with the first-round lead at the AmateurGolf.com San Diego Amateur presented by Callaway.
Schafer, who logged a top-5 finish at the 2017 SCGA Public Links, made his first bogey at No. 2 but quickly recovered with a birdie at No. 3. He followed with one more of each on the front nine before an eagle at the par-5 eighth sent him to the back nine at 2 under. Schafer went on to make two bogeys, three birdies and a triple, but it all added up to 72.
The next-closest player to Schafer is Jake Elliott, who went 3 under in his final two holes (thanks to an eagle at the par-5 17th) to finish the day at 74.
Three players are tied for third at 3 over, including Matt Fry, Alex Locke and Jamie Cheatham, a redshirt junior at Cal.
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Jeff Britton |
In the senior division, a very steady round brought
Jeff Britton to the top of the leaderboard. Britton had three birdies and two bogeys to go with it, but perhaps more impressively, he didn’t have a single three-putt on Aviara’s undulating greens that were running 13 on the stimp meter.
Britton’s deft putting touch certainly helped him get ahead on a day when many players in the field lost ground with 3-putts – and a few 4-putts – on the greens. Britton, a familiar face in AmateurGolf.com tournaments who finished T-2 at the AmateurGolf.com Christmas Classic to end 2018, will take a three-shot lead on Nicholas Bock into the final round.
Michael Horan is third with a 4-over 76. Three players – Steve Donnelly, Gene Walsh and Michael Harding – are tied for fourth with rounds of 5-over 77.
April Ranches, a freshman at San Diego State, is leading the women’s division after a 2-over 74. Ranches made the turn at 2 under, but double bogeys on two of her final three holes pushed her over par for the day.
Brianna Steger, Daniela Anastasi and Jaime Jacob are tied for second at 5-over 77.
In the net division, Dorothy Donnelly leads with an even-par 72. Chris Ladd and Korsen Yu are two shots behind her in a tie for second.
ABOUT THE AGC San Diego Amateur
The San
Diego
Amateur will once again return to Aviara Golf Club in
Carlsbad. Once
again we are going to be treated like pros at
one of
the best venues in
Southern
California, Aviara Golf Club -- as seen on TV
during
the
LPGA's Kia Classic played in March!
Your entry fee
includes 2 rounds of golf with cart, prizes, trophies
for division winners, and
the opportunity to play a Tour-proven golf
course in
a
competitive setting. The San Diego Amateur
is part
of
the SCGA player rankings.
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