Huff leads heading into final 2020 Patriot All-America round
Even-par 70 propels Auburn standout to one-shot lead over Pepperdine’s Vrzich
Posted 12/31/20
Auburn University senior Graysen Huff turned in a second straight standout round Wednesday, Dec. 30, at the Wigwam Golf Club Gold Course in Litchfield Park, persevering through chilly temperatures and gusty winds to fire an even-par 70.
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Wigwam Golf Club 451 N. Old Litchfield Road Litchfield Park, AZ 85340
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Auburn University senior Graysen Huff turned in a second straight standout round Wednesday, Dec. 30, at the Wigwam Golf Club Gold Course in Litchfield Park, persevering through chilly temperatures and gusty winds to fire an even-par 70.
He sits alone in first place at the Patriot All-America Golf Invitational after 36 holes at -5 overall.
“I just think that the weather today put a challenge out there,” said Mr. Huff, who is playing in his second straight Patriot All-America. “I think my game held up enough today, and we’ll see what happens going into tomorrow.”
Pepperdine University senior Joey Vrzich finished with a birdie on 18, and sits alone in second place at -4 overall after a second-round +1 (71). San Diego State senior Puwit Anupansuebsai shot up the leaderboard with a stellar -3 (67), and will join Mr. Vrzich and Mr. Huff in Thursday’s final group at -3 overall.
“I got a lot of up and downs today, kept myself in play and made a couple putts when I had to,” said Mr. Anupansuebsai, a native of Nakhon Phanom, Thailand. “I’ve been playing well my past couple of tournaments and I just have to keep it going.”
For Mr. Huff, an up-and-down round started on a sour note, double-bogeying the par-4 2nd hole and going out in two-over-par. But birdies on 12 and 17 got the Eagle, Idaho, native back on track, and in pole position to take home the winner’s F-35 trophy and authentic Air Force flight jacket.
“You can’t win a tournament in the first two days — the last day is when you go out and win,” said Mr. Huff, who finished T-12 in the 2019 Patriot All-America Invitational. “Tomorrow is show time. I’ve put myself in a good spot, I’ve got an opportunity in front of me and hopefully I can take advantage of it.”
It was a tale of two nines for Mr. Vrzich, struggling on the front nine with three bogeys and a double-bogey and going out in +5 (40). But he would regain his composure on the back to birdie 10, 14, 16 and 18 to stay within striking distance of the leader.
“I was challenged on the front nine, starting with a water ball on 2 and I bogeyed a par -5, which you can’t do out here,” said Mr. Vrzich, coming off a T-5 in last year’s event. “But to turn around on the back nine and shoot four under, I’m pretty happy with my score. I’ve got stuff to work on but it was good to be able to come back.”
Lincoln Memorial University senior Dan Bradbury, University of Tennessee junior Hunter Wolcott and Texas Christian University sophomore Jacob Skov Olesen will play together in Thursday’s penultimate group, with each player tied for fourth at -2 overall.
Another 11 players are at even par or better, setting up a thrilling final round in the 10th anniversary of the Patriot All-America Invitational.
Illinois State University’s David Perkins and Pepperdine University’s Joshua McCarthy added to the Patriot’s hole-in-one tally in the second round. Perkins sunk a 9-iron from 168 yards on the par-3 6th for his ace, while McCarthy’s 8-iron from 184 yards found the bottom of the cup on the par-3 11th.
Final-round play from the Wigwam Golf Course, 451 N. Old Litchfield Road, was scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. New Year’s Eve, pending a frost delay.
For more information on the collegiate tournament, including live-stream links, player pairings and schedule of events, visit patriotallamerica.com.
About the tournament
Featuring golf’s stars of tomorrow, the Patriot All-America is regarded as a top amateur event nationally, attracting PING All-America golfers from all three NCAA Divisions, NAIA and NJCAA rankings as well as from universities outside the U.S. The Arizona Golf Association, JDM Partners and the Golf Coaches Association of America partner with the Folds of Honor Foundation to host the tournament. For more information, visit patriotallamerica.com.
About the Wigwam Golf Club
The Wigwam’s Golf Club features three 18-hole championship golf courses offering a diversity that cannot be matched by any other Arizona resort, with 54 holes of championship golf including two courses designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones Sr.
The Gold Course has hosted many signature tournaments, including numerous U.S. Open qualifiers, U.S. amateur qualifiers, several NCAA regional championships and the annual Patriot All-America Golf Invitational, one of the top amateur competitions in the world.
The 7,430-yard, par 72 track has also received various industry awards and accolades since opening in 1965, including being named one of the “Top 100 Golf Courses in America.”
In December 2009, The Wigwam (including the golf courses and resort property) was purchased by JDM Partners, led by sports icon Jerry Colangelo. For more information, visitwigwamgolf.com.
