Garett Reband takes clubhouse lead on difficult day at South Beach International Am

The South Beach International Amateur field numbers more than 200 players. A few of them weren’t able to finish Thursday’s opening round.

The South Beach International Amateur field numbers more than 200 players. A few of them weren’t able to make it around the Miami Beach Golf Club before it got dark Thursday in the event’s opening round. Difficult conditions threw up something of a road-block on the first day of the 72-hole event that brings together the top college and amateur players in the country to end the year.

With rain falling steadily in the Miami area, few players managed to get it under par on Thursday. Oklahoma senior Garett Reband brought in a 2-under 68 on the Normandy Shores Course for the clubhouse lead. Ben Shipp, a senior at North Carolina State, was 2 under through nine holes on Miami Beach Golf Club.

Reband’s round was fairly uneventful, with two birdies in his first three holes and two more in his closing five holes. He sprinkled in two bogeys, too. Reband is ranked No. 13 in the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings after a senior season in which he finished in the top 10 in all four fall starts. The highlight of his summer amateur play included a runner-up finish at the Sunnehanna Amateur.

South Beach International Amateur: Leaderboard

Two men got it to 1 under on Thursday. Frenchman Abrial Lucas finished his round on Normandy Shores with a 1-under 69 and Christian Salzer, another North Carolina State senior, was 1 under through nine holes at Miami Beach Club.

Julien Sale, who is also from France and a senior at Arkansas State, was among a large tie for fifth at even par that also included Texas Tech’s Andy Lopez and Englishman Joseph Pagdin, a high school senior committed to play for Florida next year.

Karl Vilips, who is the consensus No. 1 player across three junior golf rankings – and who last week competed on the International team at the Junior Presidents Cup in Australia – was part of a tie for 15th after his 1-over 72 at Miami Beach.

Pierceson Coody, who won this event last year as a freshman at Texas, is not in the field

The first round will resume at 7 a.m. on Friday morning before the second round gets underway.

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