Reagan Zibilski (Brandon Genson photo)
by Brandon Genson, for AmateurGolf.com
After three rounds on the Cochise Course at Desert Mountain Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., Louisiana State University’s
Luke Haskew (Baton Rouge, La.) and University of Arkansas’s
Reagan Zibilski (Springfield, Mo.) lead the Men’s and Women’s divisions respectively, headed into the final round of the 108th Southwestern Amateur.
Both Haskew and Zibilski have led each of the first three rounds and will try to go for the wire-to-wire wins on Saturday.
Zibilski’s third round was a tale of two nines; the rising sophomore struggled early, carding three straight bogeys. Although weather conditions have been ideal throughout the Southwestern, winds began to pick up as the lead groups made the turn. The breeze presented a challenge, but Zibilski canceled out her early struggles with three straight birdies. She finished her round with a double bogey and birdie on holes seven and eight, but maintains the top spot, despite a third-round +1.
“I got off to a rough start. I was able to make a few birdies and get a few back,” said Zibilski.
Princeton’s
Sophia Zhang-Murphy (-10) (Saratoga, Calif.) is in sole possession of second place, while defending champion
Camille Boyd (-9) (Yorba Linda, Calif./University of Washington) finds herself in a three-way tie for third with
Ryan Flynn (Truckee, Calif./Grand Canyon University) and
Bentley Cotton (Austin, Texas/University of Texas)– all well within the hunt. Zhang-Murphy, Boyd and
Julia Misemer (Overland Park, Kan./University of Arizona) fired the day’s best rounds on the women’s side, with four-under 68’s.
On the men’s side, Haskew continues to ride the momentum of his course-record-setting first round. Haskew, who now sits at 21-under for the tournament, grew his lead by three strokes with a 7-under, 65 on Friday.
“I feel like I struck the ball better today and I was able to let myself freely swing. I got off the tee very nicely,” said Haskew.
Luke Haskew Along with defending champion
Davis Bryant (Aurora, Colo./Colorado State University) and
Joseph Lloyd (Scottsdale, Ariz./Fresno State University), Haskew’s pairing went nearly eye-for-an-eye through the front nine. No hole exemplified that better than hole three; all three competitors’ approach shots landed in a row, inches apart on the green and all three sank downhill birdie putts.
Lloyd was the only member of the pairing who gained any ground on the front nine, but Haskew was unphased by the stop-start winds that emerged late in the day; he finished strong with three birdies in his final five holes to turn in the second-best score of the day.
Bryant and Lloyd (-16 through three rounds) both trail Haskew by five strokes. A few spots down the leaderboard, it was
Reed Lotter (Savannah, Ga./Auburn University) who turned in the day’s best score with an 8-under, 64; he sits in a five-way tie for T11.
Both the Men’s and Women’s divisions tee off tomorrow morning for the final round on the Cochise Course.
ABOUT THE Southwestern Amateur
72-hole stroke play championship for national-level
amateurs with a handicap index of
1.4 or better. After 36 holes, the field will be
cut to the low 36 and ties. The
SWGA Selection Committee will select players
to
compete based upon
exemptions, playing resume and rankings.
The SWGA reserves the right to invite
amateurs of national and international
reputation, as well as other amateurs "of
note", to enter into the tournament.
Applicants are urged to submit their entries
with golf resumes of accomplishment in
major tournaments and other competitive
record
information.
View Complete Tournament Information