Guthmiller storms to South Dakota Amateur title

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Aug. 12, 2018) – After an opening 62, Jace Guthmiller’s scorecards got much more colorful in the last two rounds of the South Dakota Amateur. Still, the Yankton, S.D., native got the job done, and with five shots to spare.

Guthmiller, a senior at the University of Nebraska, ended the first round at Elmwood Golf Club with six consecutive birdies. He had also birdied No. 10, which helped him to a back-nine 29. Combine that with the three birdies Guthmiller had made on the front, and he ended up with a bogey-free, 10-under 62.

After such a stellar opening round, Guthmiller continued the charge. He had two eagles in the second round (at the par-5 sixth and 10th), but sprinkled in some bogeys and a double. There was another eagle at No. 10 on Sunday. Scores of 69-71 to end the tournament left Guthmiller 14 under and five shots ahead of the next-closest chaser.

This is actually the second state amateur in which Guthmiller has experienced success so far this summer. He played the Nebraska State Amateur at the end of last month and finished runner-up to three-time champion Alex Schaake, a University of Iowa standout. Guthmiller also advanced from U.S. Open local qualifying but didn’t make it through sectional qualifying.

Behind Guthmiller, Alejandro Perazzo was in solo second at 9 under. Perazzo, who will be a senior on the University of South Dakota roster, went bogey-free in his second-round 68.

Jesse Talcott, who won the South Dakota Mid-Amateur in June, was third at 8 under.