Palmetto Amateur: Reach maintains lead

AIKEN, S.C. (July 21, 2011) -- Nicholas Reach retained the lead midway through the Palmetto Amateur, but one of the summer’s hottest players made a move in Thursday’s second round.Scores Reach, 18, of Moscow, Pa., an incoming freshman at Georgia, shot 1-under 69 for a 131 total at Palmetto Golf Club. Corbin Mills, despite three bogeys, moved up the leaderboard with a 66 and 134 total. He is tied for second place with Will McCurdy (66), a recent Auburn graduate from Fort Payne, Ala. Mills, 21, a Clemson junior from Easley, recently won the U.S. Amateur Public Links and The Players Amateur in consecutive weeks to thrust himself into the national discussion for the Walker Cup. Mills, who had four top-10s but no victories in 10 college events, ended the spring season at No. 116 in the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings. A victory in the Palmetto, which has a solid regional field, would further his consideration for the biennial matches, to be played Sept. 10-11 at Royal Aberdeen (Scotland) Golf Club. There’s more orange on the leaderboard at the Palmetto as Clemson senior Jacob Burger (68) of Orangeburg and former Tigers All-American John Engler (69) of Augusta, Ga., are tied for fourth at 136. Play continues Friday and Saturday.