Porter continues good play with New Year's Invite co-lead
Greyson Porter (Naples Daily News photo)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Jan. 4, 2018) – When you’re on, you’re on – and a hometown advantage doesn’t hurt, either. A week after winning the Orlando International Amateur on the east side of the state,
Greyson Porter is back on his side of the state and at the top of the New Year’s Invitational leaderboard.
A year ago, the Clearwater, Fla., native and Florida State junior lost this event in a playoff to Hayden Buckley. But Porter, who recently switched instructors, has found consistency in his game. He followed an opening bogey-free 70 at St. Petersburg Country Club with a little more colorful round of 3-under 69 on Friday.
At 5 under for 36 holes, Porter shares the lead with Sampson-yunhe Zheng, who had identical rounds of 70-69.
Another familiar face from the Florida winter amateur circuit is
Nick Cummings. The Boston College signee (Cummings, a Massachusetts native, is taking a gap year between high school and college to hone his game) had rounds of 69-71 to find the solo third spot on the leaderboard at 4 under. Cummings was fifth at the Dixie Amateur at the end of 2018.
Graysen Huff, Kyler Tate and first-round co-leader Jordan Batchelor are T-4 at 3 under.
ABOUT THE
Historic invitational golf tournament that
originated
on the Lakewood golf course in 1927. This
same
amateur invitational tournament -- which
attracts
top Florida amateurs and a strong group of out-of-
state players as well --
continues,
unbroken, each year although the club
name was
later changed to St. Petersburg Country
Club.
The 2025 New Year's Invitational Champion will earn an exemption into the LECOM Suncoast Classic, a Korn Ferry Tour event.
View Complete Tournament Information