Florida Azalea: Jordan Ebanks leads

PALATKA, Fla. (March 14, 2014) -- Jordan Ebanks of St. Augustine, Fla. fired a 4-under 66 to take the lead following the first round of action at the 2014 Florida Azalea at Palatka Golf Club. Ebanks, a golfer at nearby Flagler College, is one shot up on a trio of competitors entering the second of three rounds in the historic event dating back to 1958. Andreas Halvorsen, Dylan Newman and Edward Richardson all shot 3-under 67 in Round 1 and are one shot back of the leader entering Saturday's competition. Halvorsen is a regular on the Florida junior circuits while Newman recently wrapped up a stellar four-year at Iona College in New York. Richardson is an experienced mid-amateur by way of England and made headlines in 2012 when he reached match play at the U.S. Mid-Amateur, falling in a 22-holes to Jeff Murphy. Jamey Salmon, Andrew Alligood, Jack Comstock, Jack Davidson and Travis Trace all shot 69 and are tied for fifth, just three shots behind Ebanks. All told, there are 18 players within five shots of Ebanks' lead entering Round 2. AmateurGolf.com will continue to follow the progress at the Florida Azalea Amateur. For a full rundown of scores, follow the results link below.