Ghim Takes Western Amateur Lead after Course-Record-Setting 63


A Chicago-area resident seized the lead in the Western Amateur when he broke the 47-year-old competitive course record at The Beverly Country Club on the Windy City's southwest side.

Recent Buffalo Grove High School graduate Doug Ghim, 18, of Arlington Heights, Ill., curled in a 10-foot, left-to-right side-hill birdie putt on the par-5 18th to fire an 8-under par 63, eclipsing the previous record of 64 set by Tom Weiskopf during the 1967 Western Open Pro-Am.

"We just played smart all day," Ghim said after signing his bogey-free scorecard. "My dad [his teacher and caddie] and I made sure - especially after yesterday seeing how important having uphill putts is out here - that pin-high was about as far as we're going to go into the green. For most of the day I was underneath the hole and made a couple of putts along the way."

Ghim is 10-under 132, three strokes ahead of Bryson DeChambeau, a senior at SMU who shot a 68. Xander Schauffele, a senior at San Diego State, had a 67 to move into a four-way tie for third with first-round leader Geoff Drakeford of Australia, New Zealand's Josh Munn and Illinois All-American Brian Campbell.

The cut of low 44 players and ties came in at even-par 142, leaving 50 of the 156 starters in the field. They will play 36 holes Thursday to determine which 16 advance to match play.

The above report is courtesy of the Western Golf Association. For more information and scoring details, visit http://www.wgaesf.org.