74th Delaware Amateur: Day One - The Golf Association of Philadelphia

Micholas heats up Plantation Lakes, Griffin one-shot back

MILLSBORO, Del. – Blake Micholas’ last three opening rounds of the Delaware Amateur have been up and down to say the least.

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He fired a 66 in 2023 at Wild Quail Golf & Country Club on his way to the title. Last year at White Clay Creek Country Club he shot 85.

“It’s funny how golf works sometimes,” Micholas, 27, of Rehoboth Beach, Del., said. “At White Clay Creek, I didn’t feel too comfortable in that first round and wasn’t confident. I was starting my new job and I wasn’t preparing my game as much for it. I just thought as the defending champion I could show up and still play good golf. Golf is a humbling game.”

Micholas heated up Plantation Lakes Golf & Country Club (par 71, 6,440 yards) with a 6-under-par 66 to seize the Day One lead of the 74th Delaware Amateur Monday.

Defending champion Evan Barbin of Chesapeake Bay Golf Club sits in a tie for 29th after an opening round of 74. Recent Penn State University graduate Jake Griffin of the Amateur Golf Society sits in solo second after a 66.

The field will be cut to the low 36 players and ties following the second round Tuesday. Competitors will play the final 36 holes of the 72-hole event Wednesday.

“My game hasn’t necessarily been sharp,” Micholas, who works in sale-leaseback for STREAM Capital Partners, said. “This year I wanted to make a push to play more golf. My coach told me that’s the only way to keep playing well in tournaments. I have been managing work and golf. I found that I am more disciplined when I practice because I don’t have a plethora of time to have my game perfect. So I stick with what works.”

Micholas has displayed prowess this year in the first two GAP Majors. He finished tied for sixth in the 42nd GAP Middle-Amateur at Riverton Country Club. He made the Round of 16 in the 125th BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship at Aronimink Golf Club. He is taking advantage of the exemptions that come with being a past Delaware Amateur champion. 

“Winning the Delaware Amateur definitely showed me I am able to win big tournaments,” Micholas said. “It has been exciting and awesome to have these opportunities to play in GAP Majors also.”

Micholas turned up the heat with a 2 under front nine highlighted by an eagle on No. 6 (par 4, 325 yards). Micholas rifled a driver to 15 feet and converted. His second nine flames rose higher. 

Micholas rolls in a par putt on No. 17.

He came home on his final nine in 4 under. He jarred a 12-footer for birdie on No. 10 (par 4, 320 yards) and rolled in a 6-footer for a red figure on No. 13 (par 5, 546 yards). A squared-up 9-iron on No. 15 (par 3, 175 yards) to 15 feet got him to 5 under for his round.

Micholas, of Kings Creek Country Club, rounded out his red figures by knocking in an 8-footer on No. 16 (par 4, 320 yards). A clutch 18-footer for par on No. 17 (par 4, 442 yards) kept all of his momentum intact.

When he won the Delaware Amateur in 2023, he used his trusty Bettinardi armlock putter. At Riverton, he cashed in his pro shop credit earnings from the GAP Mid-Am for a Scotty Cameron Phantom putter. The change has paid dividends for Micholas.

“Sometimes a fresh look with a different putter can help,” Micholas said. “I bought that putter after the GAP Mid-Am and the next morning I went out and played with my friends at Kings Creek and shot 63. I made every putt I looked at. My other putter is still in my trunk. I am not sure that it is going to come out.”

With temperatures projected to reach triple digits for the final two days, mental and physical composure will be important. Limiting mistakes and keeping your head in it is paramount.

“The biggest key is drinking a lot of water,” Micholas said. “The night before competition is the most important time to drink water because you don’t want to be behind when you get to a tournament. I’m used to days like this so the temperature doesn’t bother me that much. In a 72-hole tournament, limiting mistakes is important to be in contention.

Griffin also has a state amateur title on his resume. He won the Maryland Amateur at his home club Argyle Country Club in 2022. He added the Maryland Open title in 2021.

Griffin

The recent Penn State University graduate kickstarted his Delaware Amateur campaign by canning a 45-footer on his first hole of the day, No. 11 (par 3, 150 yards).

“I felt like I did a good job of taking advantage of the short par 4s and the par 5s,” Griffin, 22, of Bethesda, Md., said. “If you put yourself in good position off the tee you will have plenty of chances to score here. The greens are a little quirky and crazy but if you keep it below the hole, you can have success.”

Griffin, playing at the hottest point of the day with a real-feel temperature that reached 110 degrees, he stayed cool with wet towels and dumping water on his head. Starting on the second nine, smooth-swinging Nittany Lion fired a final nine of 4 under to get within one of Micholas.

“There’s a lot of golf to be played,” Griffin said. “There are a lot of shorter par 4s and reachable par 5s. Taking advantage of those and keeping the ball in front of you will be important for a good week here.”
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GAP
Celebrating Amateur Golf since 1897, GAP, also known as the Golf Association of Philadelphia, is the oldest regional or state golf association in the United States. It serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. The organization’s 345 Member Clubs and 130,000 individual members are spread across Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.

Round 1
Name, clubR1
Blake Micholas, Kings Creek Country Club65
Jake Griffin, Amateur Golf Society66
Tyler Debusschere, DuPont Country Club68
Michael Lugiano, Huntsville Golf Club68
Eli Shah, Penn Oaks Golf Club68
Jackson Debusschere, DuPont Country Club69
Jack Irons, Medford Lakes Country Club70
Jackson Roman, Briarwood Golf Club70
Hunter Stetson, Aronimink Golf Club70
Calen Sanderson, Jericho National Golf Club70
Andrew Bilson, Bent Creek Country Club70
Michael Crowley, Briarwood Golf Club71
Noah Wallace, Chesapeake Bay Golf Club71
Matthew Homer, Wilmington Country Club71
Caleb Itzoe, Briarwood Golf Club71
Ryan Smith, USGA/GAP GC71
Alexander Hall, Blue Bell Country Club71
Charlie Bundy, Philadelphia Publinks Golf Association71
Dustin Stocksdale, Briarwood Golf Club72
Alex Seelig, LedgeRock Golf Club72
Jake Haberstumpf, LedgeRock Golf Club72
Ryan Bree, Fieldstone Golf Club73
Aaron Williams, Bayside Resort Golf Club73
Logan Paczewski, Huntsville Golf Club73
Thomas Young, Saucon Valley Country Club73
Eric Miller, USGA/GAP GC73
Pablo Quintero, USGA/GAP GC73
Matt Dolinsky, Heidelberg Country Club73
Evan Barbin, Chesapeake Bay Golf Club74
Cameron Baynum, USGA/GAP GC74
Logan Wagner, Bent Creek Country Club74
Ed Brown, Rehoboth Beach Country Club74
Andrew Sellers, Hooper’s Landing Golf Course74
Peyton Mussina, Williamsport Country Club75
Alex Hosier, French Creek Golf Club75
Trace DeLeon, Baywood Greens75
Bryan Janocha, DuPont Country Club75
Matthew Perry, Ocean City Golf Club75
Joey Lostumbo, Stanton Ridge Golf & Country Club75
Daniel Oh, Blue Bell Country Club75
Lorenzo Sanz, Briarwood Golf Club76
Craig Tronti, Chesapeake Bay Golf Club76
Brandon Wilson, Chesapeake Bay Golf Club76
John Keba, USGA/GAP GC76
Dylan Chessher, Wild Quail Golf & Country Club76
Jairus Gaines, Chesapeake Bay Golf Club76
Matthew Vital, Northampton Country Club76
Chris Noll, Wild Quail Golf & Country Club76
Jeter Teng, DuPont Country Club76
James Ihasz, III, Plantation Lakes Golf & Country Club77
Chris Waldmann, The 1912 Club77
Henry Nowak, DuPont Country Club77
Robert Bechtold, Fieldstone Golf Club77
Michael Vital, Northampton Country Club77
Ryan Gracey, Hartefeld National77
William Howard, Applebrook Golf Club77
Joseph Kelly, DuPont Country Club77
Eric Risner, Newark Country Club77
Ryan Hagerty, DuPont Country Club78
Jeffrey Homer, Wilmington Country Club78
Alex Mulrooney, DuPont Country Club78
Joshua Freeman, USGA/GAP GC78
Brooks Hoffman, USGA/GAP GC78
Kevin Lafond, Blue Bell Country Club79
Ryan Richardson, Philadelphia Publinks Golf Association79
Braden DeCapite, Bayside Resort Golf Club79
John Cole, Plantation Lakes Golf & Country Club79
Zacary Novak, Pine Ridge Golf Course80
Sebastian Botero, North Hills Country Club80
Timothy Yoder, USGA/GAP GC80
Matt Graeff, Manufacturers’ Golf & Country Club80
Jonathan Brohawn, Heritage Shores80
Nick Shevland, Cripple Creek Golf & Country Club80
Juan Johnson, Plantation Lakes Golf & Country Club81
Robert Lugiano, Huntsville Golf Club81
Braden Paris, Chesapeake Bay Golf Club81
Tim Golden, Rehoboth Beach Country Club81
Scott Bergson, Little Mill Country Club81
Tyler McDonald, Plantation Lakes Golf & Country Club82
J.T. Krynock, USGA/GAP GC82
Ben Gehrt, Hartefeld National82
Corey Betham, St. Davids Golf Club82
Charlie Ferrise, RiverCrest GC & Preserve82
John Walsh, Bear Trap Dunes Golf Club82
Matt Rosal, USGA/GAP GC82
Nate Perrone, Moorestown Field Club82
Robbie Lohkamp, DuPont Country Club83
Steve Oh, Chesapeake Bay Golf Club83
Kie Shaw, Rock Manor Golf Club83
Connor Matteo, Blue Ridge Trail Golf Club83
Joe Capen, Plantation Lakes Golf & Country Club83
Will Sass, Ocean City Golf Club84
Brent Glah, Commonwealth National Golf Club85
Garrett Dixon, Wild Quail Golf & Country Club85
Jacob Biasotto, USGA/GAP GC85
Jonathan Lombardo, Plantation Lakes Golf & Country Club85
Robert Grife, Little Mill Country Club86
Shane Miller, Plantation Lakes Golf & Country Club87
Anthony Saienni, Kings Creek Country Club87
Ryan Feldman, Amateur Golf Society88
Steven Kaminsky, The Rookery Golf Club88
Ryan Dill, Newark Country Club88
Peter Malonoski, USGA/GAP GC89
Nathan Eldridge, Quail Valley Golf Club89
Kingston Davis, Kings Creek Country Club91
John Edmiston, DuPont Country Club92
Michael Freccia, USGA/GAP GC92
Joel Perry, GAP Youth on Course92
Dominic Piperno, USGA/GAP GC92
Brendan Schott, Rock Manor Golf Club97
Damon Watkins, Chambersburg Country Club101
Brandon Christopher, DuPont Country Club89 (WD)
Connor Vanin, DuPont Country ClubWD
Jack Dixon, Wild Quail Golf & Country ClubWD
David Pic, White Clay Creek Country ClubWD
Greg Sadowski, Philadelphia Publinks Golf AssociationWD
Mike Quirk, Sunnybrook Golf ClubWD
WD – withdraw

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