South Beach Int'l: 17-year-old Caparros leads

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (Dec. 21, 2013) -- Seventeen year old high school junior Kristian Caparros of Hollywood, Florida and American Heritage High School carded today’s second lowest round (68) to get to -4 at Miami Beach Golf Club to take a one stroke lead going into the final round of the South Beach International Amateur. Just one stroke back (-3) is the world’s #42nd ranked amateur, England’s Greg Eason from Central Florida who shot a one under par 70. World #108 Bryce Chalkley of Richmond, Virginia and Virginia Tech fired the day’s best round (67) to put himself in soul position of third place. World #111, France’s Victor Perez from the University of New Mexico shot an even par round of 71 to take 4th place outright going into the final round on Sunday. A five way tie for fifth place at even par sees World #17 Bryson DeChambeau of SMU, #90 Mathieu Decottignies of France, #530 Bailey Patrick from the University of North Carolina, #1542 Chad Merzbacher from Tennessee and #1565 Andrew Whalen from Northwestern University just four strokes back. Of the starting South Beach International Amateur field, Forty of the fifty three players who are ranked in the “Top 600” in the world remained after the 36 hole cut in a field which is ranked in the “Top 25” in the world. If the third round play thru the windswept Miami Beach Golf Club wasn’t exciting enough, three shots will be remembered for years. Kristian Caparros holed out his second shot on the par 4 second hole for eagle. Then Grant Houser accomplished the same feat on the seventh hole. The true “Tin Cup” moment happed when France’s Victor Perez stepped to the 16th tee. The 302 yard par four is reachable but you have to carry the water hazard from to green. Perez knocked his first shot in the water. He then re-teed and sailed his drive over the lake onto the green, and as spectators watched, it rolled into the hole just as a perfectly hit put would for a birdie three.