Aldrich Potgieter (Golf RSA Photo)

At the California site, Isaiah Salinda of Las Vegas, Nev., Jeffrey Kang of Los Angeles, Calif., and Kevin Velo of Danville, Calif., are all tied for the lead after rounds of 6-under 66. 

Salinda, the former USC standout who made the Round of 16 at the U.S. Amateur in 2019, got off to a hot start, birding Nos. 1. and 2 and recording five total birdies on the front nine. He bogeyed No. 13 to fall back to 4-under but bounced back to get to 6-under with birdies on No. 17 and 18.

Kang, who started his round on hole No. 10, recorded eight birdies and two bogeys. He shot a 32 on the front nine, his back nine of the day. Kang played the par-3's at 2-over, but played the rest of the holes at 8-under. 

Velo recorded seven birdies and just one bogey and went on two different three-birdies-in-a-row streaks. He birdied holes No. 4, 5. and 6 and birdied holes No. 15, 16, and 17.

Austen Christiansen is Tomball, Tex., is in solo fourth place and is just one shot back of the leaders at 5-under. Christian Banke of Scottsdale, Ariz., and Alex Chiarella of San Diego, Calif., sit T5 at 4-under, and 2018 U.S. Amateur runner-up Devon Bling is in solo seventh place at 3-under. Six golfers are T8 at 2-under.

The top 13 and ties will advance to the Final Stage, starting December 14.

At the Georgia Site, Aldrich Potgieter of South Africa and Dawson Armstrong of Jacksonville, Fla., both shot rounds of 5-under 67 to hold the first-round lead. Potgieter is the  2022 British Amateur Champion.

Brian Carlson of Madison, Conn., and Jimmy Jones of Tampa, Fla., are T3 at 4-under and one shot back of Potgeiter and Armstrong. Kyle Mueller of Athens, Ga., and Tom Forster of Maryville, Tenn., Juan J Guerra of Orlando, Fla, and Curtis Thompson of Boynton Beach, Fla., are all T5 at 3-under. 

Seven golfers are T9 at 2-under.

The top 12 and ties will advance to the Final Stage, starting December 14.