Austin Zoller takes Second Round Carolinas Amateur lead

CHARLESTON, SC (July 15, 2016) -- 20-year-old Austin Zoller of Summerville, S.C. fired the low round Friday, a three-under-par 67 on the par 70 layout at the Country Club of Charleston. Starting his round one-under for the championship, Zoller got off to a slow start, playing his first eight holes one-over-par. He would make up ground by converting birdies on all three par fives on the championship layout, then added two more birdies at par-4 Nos. 12 and 17. "I was waiting on putts to go in," said Zoller, a rising sophomore at Winthrop University.

Zoller credits his comfort with the course to a practice round played with Winthrop teammate and CC of Charleston member Christian Sease. The advice from Sease, as well as from his caddie Matthew Hardin, guided him to a two-day total of four-under 136. Zoller holds a two stroke lead heading into the weekend's final two rounds. "I played smart both days," said Zoller, who made it to the quarterfinals of this year's South Carolina Amateur Match Play Championship at Bear Creek Golf Club. "Today I just had a few better misses."

Four other players posted three-under 67 on Friday: Preston Cole of Greer, S.C., Eric Edwards of Salisbury, N.C., Kevin O'Connell of Raleigh, N.C. and 2012 Carolinas Amateur champion Carson Young of Pendleton, S.C.

Four players are tied for second, two shots behind Zoller. Julian Keur of Summerville, S.C., Tim Conover of Holly Springs, N.C., Hunter Watkins, 26, of Lexington, S.C., and Justin Tereshko of Jamestown, N.C. will try to catch Zoller this weekend. Keur, 20, is a junior at Charleston Southern University. Conover, also 20, is a junior at East Carolina University and fresh off his victory at the North & South Amateur earlier this month. 26-year-old Tereshko, the golf coach at Guilford College, is looking to get his first CGA win following a second runner-up finish at the North Carolina Amateur in as many years.

First round leader Scott Harvey of Kernersville, N.C. stumbled Friday, making just one birdie to combat four bogeys and a double bogey. His second round 75 drops him to one-over-par for the championship and five strokes off the lead.

The field was cut to the top 60 players plus ties for the final two rounds. The cut line fell at 145 (five-over- par) with 61 players making it to the weekend. Eleven players are under par thru two rounds at the Country Club of Charleston.

The third round is scheduled to begin at 8:00am on Saturday from the #1 and #10 tees.

Three-time defending champion Carter Jenkins of Raleigh, N.C., has since turned professional, playing on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada.