Players Amateur: 4 share lead atop busy leaderboard

BLUFFTON, S.C. (July 10, 2014) -- Familiar names share the lead after Round 1 at the 2014 Players Amateur. Among them -- four in total -- is local favorite and rising University of South Carolina golfer Matthew NeSmith, who joined Andrew Orischak, Tae Koh and Geoff Drakeford at the top of the leaderboard after the quartet shot 4-under 68s at Berkeley Hall Club. The loaded leaderboard at the prestigious amateur event is jam-packed at the top with five players sitting one shot back and four more just two back. All told, there are 16 players within three shots and 10 more just four shots back of the lead shared by four. It all adds up to what's sure to be a wild 72 holes at the Players Amateur, which wraps up Sunday. Tied for fifth place and just one shot back is an impressive list of contenders, including defending champion Hunter Stewart of Vanderbilt, rising Stanford star Maverick McNealy, Georgia's Nicholas Reach and 2013 Monroe Invitational champ Nick Palladino. Past U.S. Open competitor and current Texas star Gavin Hall joins recent North & South Amateur champion Michael Cromie in the four-player tie for 10th -- just two shots back. And just three back is a group that includes Canadian Garrett Rank, the runner up at the 2012 U.S. Mid-Amateur. The prestigious event was created by Duke Delcher and Tom McKnight and event spares no expense to attract a high quality field. The winner gets an exemption into the PGA Tour RBC Heritage Classic on Hilton Head, as well as the Master of the Amateurs tournament in Melbourne, Australia. For a full look at the Round 1 leaderboard, follow the link below.