Corbin Mills Has First-Round Lead at Players Amateur

July 7, 2011

CLEMSON, SC – Clemson junior Corbin Mills continued his outstanding play with a first round 67 at the Players Amateur at Belfair Plantation in Bluffton, SC. Mills has a one-shot lead over Kalem Richardson of Australia and Eric Chun of Evanston, IL after the first round of the 72-hole event. The field, 75 players strong, includes some of the top amateur players in the nation.

Mills is coming off a victory at the United States Public Links Championship in Bandon, Oregon, an event that was concluded last Saturday. Mills played 36 holes of stroke play, followed by six match play competitions over a six-day period. He played 153 holes overall.

“I was looking to play another 18,” kidded Mills, who was Clemson’s top stroke average player this year as a sophomore. “I got off to a good start and was four under after seven holes, but I double bogeyed the eighth hole then made a bogey on the ninth. I played well overall. It was a good start.”

Mills got his game back with consecutive birdies on the 12th, 13th and 14th holes. He then finished with a birdie on the par four 18th hole. Mills birdied all four par five holes in recording his five-under par round. He had eight birdies on the day. The winner of the Players Amateur earns and invitation to the Heritage on the PGA tour. By winning the United States Public Links, Mills will probably receive a bid to the Masters.

Crawford Reeves, Mills’ classmate at Clemson, shot an opening round 73 and stands in 31st place after the first round.