Andrew Walker has found both courses at Orlando's Orange County National Golf Center and Lodge to his liking.
After blistering his way around the Crooked Cat layout in 8-under 64 Monday in the first round, the Michigan State senior from Battle Creek, MI went right back to work on Tuesday and fired 6-under 65 to jump out to a three shot lead at the Orlando International Amateur.
Both courses are plenty challenging at 7493 yards and 7169 yards respectively.
But the weather in Orlando this week has been mid-70s with light winds, and Walker took advantage with an eagle and seven birdies Monday, and another eagle and five birdies today. With just one bogey on the card each day, Walker appears poised to capture a big title as he enters the round three clear of South Carolina Gamecock sophomore Jack Wall.
Wall stands at 11-under 132 after rounds of 65 and 67. The Brielle, New Jersey native recorded a second place finish in the 2019 New Jersey State Am.
As a 14-year-old in 2013, Walker became the youngest African American to qualify for the U.S. Amateur. Since then he has been a consistent performer for the Spartans, excelling both on the golf course and in the classroom. In 2019/2020 he was a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten selection.
The 54-hole tournament concludes on Wednesday.
AmateurGolf.com Rankings
2020 season — official results & points
| Pos | Player | From | Scores | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jack Wall | NJ | 65-67-67=199 | 400 |
| T2 | Tommy Kuhl | IL | 68-69-65=202 | 300 |
| T2 | Andrew Walker | MI | 64-65-73=202 | 300 |
+67 more — Premium members see every point earnedFull Men's National Ranking →
