Garrett Rank

BLUFFTON, S.C. (July 11, 2014) --Shoot the course record during a tournament, and most times you’ll end up leading. Just ask Canada’s Garrett Rank.

Rank shot a new course record today at Berkeley Hall’s South Course, firing a 10-under 62, and has the lead halfway through the Players Amateur.

He bested the previous record, a 63, by a single stroke. His round consisted of 10 birdies and eight pars, a personal best for him according to his Twitter account.

As he explained, “Not bad for a Canadian!”

Rank, a mid-amateur and member of the Canadian National Team, has had a busy summer so far. Trips to the Monroe Invitational and Northeast Amateur included solid stretches of good play, but he has yet to win one of the majors.

The 62 puts him right on track to change that.

Matthew NeSmith of the University of South Carolina and defending champion Hunter Stewart of Vanderbilt are tied for second, five shots back of Rank.

NeSmith posted two-under 70 on Friday for a 138 total, while Stewart shot a second consecutive three-under 69.

Other notables include U.S. Open qualifier and Stanford rising sophomore Maverick McNealy, who sits in a tie for fifth at 140, and North & South Amateur champion Michael Cromie, who is tied for 16th at one-under 143.

The prestigious event was created by Duke Delcher and Tom McKnight and event spares no expense to attract a high quality field. The winner gets an exemption into the PGA Tour RBC Heritage Classic on Hilton Head, as well as the Master of the Amateurs tournament in Melbourne, Australia.

To check out scores from Friday’s second round, follow the link below.