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Lorenz, Anderson Lead AZ Amateur Day-One Qualifying at -7

For Immediate Release
August 9, 2021

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David Bataller
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(602) 944-3035

LORENZ, ANDERSON EACH FIRE -7 (65) TO LEAD DAY-ONE QUALIFYING AT 97TH ARIZONA AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

Duo each makes one eagle en route to one-stroke lead at Grayhawk Golf Club’s Talon Course

SCOTTSDALE – Ben Lorenz and Cade Anderson each posted -7 (65) Monday at Grayhawk Golf Club’s Talon Course, surging to the top of the leaderboard for day one of qualifying at the 97th Arizona Amateur Championship. Lorenz and Anderson are one shot ahead of two-time winner Jake Chanen, and Zach Smith, each of whom shot -6 (66).

“It definitely was gettable if you were hitting it well,” said Lorenz, an incoming sophomore at the University of Oklahoma. “Tee to green is usually where I feel like I have an advantage. It’s a little bit tight, so if you’re hitting it in play and hitting those short-scoring clubs well, then you can make a lot of birdies. And I was able to do that.”

“I think Talon is not too bad from tee to green – certainly putting balls in the fairway but with a lot of scoring opportunities throughout the golf course,” said Anderson, a recent graduate of Notre Dame Prep headed to play golf at Rutgers University later this month. “I really struck it well, and making a few putts really helps out.”

Teeing off on hole 10 to start play, Lorenz drove the green on the 303-yard, par-4 13th, making the four-foot putt for eagle. He went out in 31, including a bogey, and made three more birdies on the back nine with a bogey to account for his final tally. He doesn’t plan on changing his mind frame going into day two.

“Just keep trying to hit good shots – you can only control what you’re doing,” said Lorenz, a graduate of Sunrise Mountain High School in Peoria. “Just keep play well one shot at a time.”

Scottsdale’s Anderson posted eight birdies on the day, six of which came in a seven-hole stretch during the middle of his round. The Scottsdale resident said his hometown track suits his game off the tee nicely.

“There were a lot of wedge opportunities, and most of the par-5’s are reachable,” said Anderson.

Chanen also started his round on the 10th hole, making five birdies without a bogey to go out in 31. A triple bogey on the par-4 1st hole zapped his momentum, but Chanen roared back with an eagle on the par-5 3rd hole, and made two more birdies to finish at -6.

“Things were just rolling today – I got into some trouble on one but I was able to bounce back nicely,” said Chanen, a Grand Canyon University graduate who won the Arizona Amateur at Tonto Verde Golf Club (2018) and Desert Forest Golf Club (2020). “[The eagle] was big – I needed that. After making triple on one that was very helpful.”

Starting his round on hole 10, Smith also made five birdies on his first nine holes, mixing in a lone bogey to post a front-nine 32. The Morehead State University grad would birdie his last two holes to come in at 34.

Matthew Braley and Mason Domecq sit T-5 at -5, following respective rounds of 67. Nine players are at T-7 at -4. In all, 38 of the of the 151 players in the field finished under par at Grayhawk Golf Club.

Starting times for Tuesday’s day two of qualifying begin at 7:00 am, with play determining the top 64 players to advance to Wednesday’s Match Play. Any ties for the final Match Play spots will be determined by a playoff after all players have finished their second round.

All Round of 64 matches are scheduled for Wednesday. Round of 32 and Round of 16 matches will be played Thursday. Friday sees all Round of 8 and Round of 4 matches, with the last two players remaining in the field squaring off in Saturday’s Championship match.

Full leaderboard can be found by clicking here.