USC rising senior Ben Dietrich leads S.C. Amateur at DeBordieu

Benign weather and a soft course from rain over two days made for ripe scoring on Thursday at DeBordieu Club in the first round of the 85th South Carolina Amateur Championship, and no one took more advantage than Ben Dietrich of Bluffton.

The rising University of South Carolina senior holds a three-stroke lead after firing a 5-under-par 67 at the Pete and P.B. Dye layout, which played approximately 7,000 yards. He made five birdies on his second nine for a 5-under 31 after making the turn at even par.

Among the players three shots back at 70 are 2014 champion Andrew Novak of Mount Pleasant and Wofford College and 2013 champion Carson Young of Pendleton and Clemson University.

Defending champion Keenan Huskey of Greenville and USC is tied for ninth after a 71, which was matched by six other players including 48-year-old Todd White of Spartanburg and Austin Frick of Myrtle Beach, whose father and golf instructor Ted Frick was caddying. Judson Holliday of Aynor is tied for 16th at 72 and Trey Salley of Pawleys Island is tied for 27th at 73.

The 126-player field will be cut to the low 70 players and ties after Friday’s second round. Spectators are welcome for the remaining three rounds.

This story was originally published August 4, 2016 at 9:31 PM with the headline "USC rising senior Ben Dietrich leads S.C. Amateur at DeBordieu."