Palmetto Amateur: Mon. Qualifier Caleb Surratt posts 63 to lead

Monday qualifiers are not just for the pros. Caleb Surratt set the pace at Wednesday’s opening round of the Palmetto Amateur. The stacked field that includes Auburn standout and nephew of Ernie Els, Jovan Rebula will have to chase the hot hand of Surratt heading into the second round. Qualifying with a 3-under 67 on Monday, Surratt kept the birdies coming on Wednesday as he posted a 7-under 63 at Palmetto Golf Club, two-shots clear of his nearest competitor. The top-ranked junior in North Carolina has plenty of company lurking in the wings. The NC State Wolfpack commit is currently holding off 47 other golfers who are below or within two strokes of par. Among those lurking is last week’s North & South Amateur winner Tyler Strafaci (-2). A Bear and Nittany Lion hang just two shots back as Baylor’s Mark Reppe and Penn State’s Ryan Davis both sit at 5-under. With 53 players within 10-shots of him, Surratt looks to become the second player to win the tournament via Monday qualifier since Zhengkai Bai did so in 2017.