By Stan Olenik. Editor-Publisher The Golf Club

The South Carolina Golf Association Amateur Championship is a great event no matter where it is played in the Palmetto State.

But there are a few venues that, because of tradition, reputation or exclusivity, elevate the annual championship just a notch above the others.

From the minute golfers learned this year’s championship would be played at the Quixote Club in Sumter, making the field meant more practice and more pressure during qualifying tournaments held around the state.

No one wanted to miss the opportunity to play the course.

More than 350 golfers teed it up in qualifying around the state, with 144 players earning spots in the field for the 95th South Carolina Amateur Championship.

The qualifying scores were impressive, and the championship field entered the tournament with an average Handicap Index of +2.07.

After first-round play was completed, two golfers shared the lead after posting 4-under-par rounds of 66.

Former Clemson All-American Crawford Reeves and rising Winthrop University senior Ashton Eubanks will begin Friday’s second round tied for the lead.

Reeves got off to a fast start with birdies on two of his first three holes.

Starting on the back nine, the 2006 Jay Haas Award winner as South Carolina’s top junior golfer added two more birdies before giving back shots on his eighth and ninth holes. After making the turn, Reeves matched his back-nine 33 with another 33 on the front for a 4-under-par 66.

Eubanks also opened on the back nine and birdied his first hole before adding three more birdies to make the turn at 4-under.

His second nine started with consecutive bogeys, but Eubanks bounced back with three more birdies to finish tied with Reeves at 4-under par.

Lexington’s Howie Vroon and Chapin’s Harrison James are one shot behind the leaders after opening with 3-under-par rounds of 67.

Defending champion Sam Jackson of Lexington opened with a 2-over-par 72, while former two-time champion Todd White of Spartanburg is tied for 12th place at even par.

After Friday’s second round, the field will be cut to the low 60 players and ties for the final 36 holes of the championship.

First-round scores from the 95th South Carolina Amateur Championship follow.https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/5755877?utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9BbLdgGwMXctt6sypSxg-aLs0RdInhKSBv4Af38R_igy2R7x-Nd4dJTIGUPUmTZSVLO0uBw5pR1i57fp8b2E1TK9MJqg&_hsmi=429890146&utm_content=429890146&utm_source=hs_email

We can send you every post made at SCgolfclub.com if you subscribe to the site, Your enail will only be used to get you the latest and or interesting golf information..