Scores were lower across the board as three players broke into the 60s for the first time so far in the tournament. Collyer’s 67 came on the heels of opening rounds of 72. Konrad Ciupek, in second place, had a 69 and trails Collyer by four.
Kyle Michel is another three shots back in a tie for third after a 68. That group also includes second-round co-leader Toby Walker, Lewis Hoath, Matias Sanchez and William Hefferman.
In the women’s division, leader Grace Kim posted one of two sub-70 rounds on Thursday and leads by two shots. Kim had a 69, her lowest of the week, and is two ahead of June Song.
ROUND TWO
The defending champion is also the 36-hole co-leader at the Dunes Medal. Blake Collyer won last year’s event with a final-round 64 that left him one shot ahead of the field. This time around, Collyer has yet to use any fireworks, but he hasn’t really needed any. Back-to-back rounds of 72 at the Dunes Golf Links have left him tied for the lead with Toby Walker.
Collyer and Walker, both with a 144 total, have a two-shot lead on the field halfway through the 72-hole event. Since his Dunes Medal victory, Collyer made headlines in the U.S. with an eleventh-hour ace that secured his win at the W.E. Cole Cotton States in July.
Behind the leaders, Lewis Hoath, Konrad Ciupek and Lukas Michel are all at 146.
In the women’s division, Sophie Yip has a five-shot lead on Grace Kim after opening with rounds of 72-73. Yip made it to the quarterfinals of the New South Wales Amateur earlier this year while Kim earned recent victories at the Federal Women’s Amateur Open and the Youth Olympic Games.
Keep an eye on Sue Wooster, the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur runner-up who is tied for sixth after 36 holes and just eight shots off the pace.