74th Delaware Amateur: Day Two

2023 champion Micholas leads at halfway mark

MILLSBORO, Del. – The 2023 Delaware Amateur and 2025 Delaware Amateur are lining up to be eerily similar for Blake Micholas. 

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But looking at Micholas, nothing is the same about him. New job, new mindset and newfound confidence. 

“I would say I wasn’t as confident in my game back in 2023 at this event,” Micholas, 27, of Rehoboth Beach, Del., said. “I am much more confident in my game now. Now that I am older and more mature I know my stuff isn’t going to look like everyone else’s. I can still hit it as far as the kids. Knowing my game works in these events has given me a lot of confidence.”

Micholas was in the lead after the first two rounds in 2023. After 36 holes at Plantation Lakes Golf & Country Club (par 71, 6,490 yards) he is in the same position.

He was 9 under through 36 holes at Wild Quail Golf & Country Club, which he equaled this go around.

The Kings Creek Country Club member backed up his 65 with a 69 to secure a three-shot lead heading into the final day of the 74th Delaware Amateur.

The cut fell at 9 over with 37 players making it to Wednesday’s 36-hole culmination. Huntsville Golf Club’s Michael Lugiano sits in solo second after consecutive 68s.

“The conditions were much different than what I experienced in the first round,” Micholas said. “The greens were baked out and firm. Being in the fairway was a priority. I didn’t do a spectacular job with that but managed to still play well. I didn’t get the ball as close to the hole as I did in the first round and didn’t make as many putts but still gave myself some good looks.”

Micholas kickstarted his round with a birdie on his first hole of the day, No. 11 (par 3, 140 yards). A speared 52-degree wedge three feet turned his card red. He would add two birdies and two bogeys to the remaining seven holes on that nine.

Another speared 52-degree wedge on No. 3 (par 4, 424 yards) to 16 feet pushed him to 8 under. With three reachable par 4s and a par 5 left, Micholas was on his way to double digits. But a mental mistake on No. 5 (par 5, 522 yards) cost him a shot. His misjudged the wind off the tee and hit his 3-wood into the penalty area.

Micholas got it right back by driving it to flag high on No. 6 (par 4, 325 yards). A saucy slip of his lob wedge from a healthy greenside lie underneath his ball to two feet regained his spirits. A lob wedge from 108 yards to gimme range on No. 9 (par 4, 350 yards) pushed him to his halfway point number.

“It is important here to pay attention to where the hole locations are,” Micholas said. “You can’t get away with being in the rough to a front hole location. With as many ridges as there are here, being on the right side of them can make the round so much easier.”

Micholas said Plantation Lakes suits his driver’s eye. Tee it high and let it fly.

There are five par 4s under 350 yards. Micholas has played them in 7 under across the first two rounds. He’s only played the par 5s even par so far and was 1 over in Round 2. He said he needs to clean that up.

The rewards are much different now for the Delaware Amateur champion. In 2023, Micholas didn’t get all of them. The victor now earns an automatic bid to the U.S. Amateur. The USGA launched the new criteria in 2024. Micholas only earned entry into Final Qualifying as a result of his 2023 triumph.

“You can’t take these opportunities to do something great for granted,” Micholas said. “Back when I won in 2023, a ticket to the U.S. Amateur wasn’t available. Now it is. That changes a lot.

“What motivates me is having the opportunity to compete. I want to play in some of the bigger Mid-Am events in the future. As I get older I just have to keep playing events to get more experience and be a golfer that can contend week in and week out.”

Micholas will attempt to be the 10th player to win at least two titles in a three-year period. A historic opportunity.

“This tournament has a great history and to be able to have a chance to win again would be cool,” Micholas said. “I can’t think that far ahead. I need to keep focused like I have been and see where I am at this time Wednesday.”

Lugiano is 230 miles from home in Jackson Township, Pa. but Plantation Lakes is starting to feel like a second home.

“I have definitely been playing some good golf,” Lugiano said. “The first round was more up and down than today. I played consistently and there was a stretch of eight holes where I didn’t have a birdie putt outside of 15 feet. I just couldn’t get the putts to fall. My big motto is to stay patient out there and birdies will come.”

His patience was rewarded. Sitting at 1 under through his first 15 holes, Lugiano said he needed a spark. He found it in the tune of two birdies on his final three holes. He rocketed a driver to short right of the green on No. 16 (par 4, 320 yards) and knocked in a 4-footer. On the last (par 5, 513 yards), he reached the green in two after a rhythmic 8-iron from 170 yards. He would two-putt from 30 feet.

“This course doesn’t set up great for me because I struggle on severely undulated greens,” Lugiano, 19, said. “You have to miss in the right spots here and I feel I have done a good job with that. Getting in the wrong spot here can add up to big numbers quickly.”

In his freshman season at Liberty University, he picked up his first victory in the 2025 Thomas Sharkey Individual Collegiate. He’s 36 holes away from his first GAP victory.

“The competition you play against at Liberty has definitely made me a better player,” Lugiano said. “In high school I usually found myself at the top of the leaderboard in most events. In college, it is a grind to be at the top of the leaderboard. Getting that first win was amazing. The rest of the school season, my game struggled. It shows me I have a lot of work to do because everyone is so good nowadays. You can’t take anything for granted.”

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.