ANN ARBOR – Justin Sui of Lake Orion had his best day of golf, shot a course and tournament record 10-under 60, followed it up with a 64 and had a seven-shot lead through the 36-hole first day of the 104th GAM Championship presented by Carl’s Golfland Monday.
“I didn’t come in expecting to shoot way under par,” said the 20-year-old University of Florida student after his record-setting day at Radrick Farms Golf Club. “I felt like I could shoot a couple under each round, but yeah, 16-under for two rounds is way beyond my expectations.”
Sui, the GAM Tournament of Champions winner a year ago and a multiple tournaments winner at the junior golf level, topped the previous course record, which the club believed to be 64 carded in a U.S. Open qualifier in the 1990s. GAM tournament records are incomplete from the early years of the 104-year-old event, but 60 is believed to be a record round for the championship.
Vibhav Alokam of Ypsilanti, a University of Villanova golfer, shot 64 and 67 for 9-under 131 and was in second place, seven shots off the lead.
Lorenzo Pinili of Rochester Hills, a Michigan State University golfer who was stroke play medalist earlier this summer at the Michigan Amateur Championship, shot 70 and 68 for 138. He was tied for third place with Michigan Amateur semifinalist Zach Koerner of Laingsburg, a Ferris State University golfer, who shot 68 and 70.
Jack Zubkus of Ada, and Oakland University’s golf team, shot two rounds of even-par 70 for 140. He was tied with former Wayne State University golfer Ian Smith of Canton, who shot 68 and 72.
Alokam said if he were told at the start of the day, he would shoot 9-under in the first two rounds, he would have expected to be the leader.
“Hat’s off to Justin, he played great,” he said. “I’m happy with how I played. You can’t change anything so only positives to be taken away from today for me.”
He said the plan for the final round will be to keep making birdies.
“Make birdies early and often and then keep going,” he said. “I’m probably going to have to shoot 10-under to catch up to him.”
Sui, who has taken most of his classes at Florida on-line and will graduate after the fall term, has never played on the university golf team.
“I wanted to study,” he said. “I play golf in the summer.”
The 60, which featured 3s on each hole from No. 2 through No. 11, including seven that were birdies, marked the first time Sui shot a course record, but it isn’t his first low score in competition.
He shot a 63 a few weeks ago in the Michigan Publinx Match Play Championship during the seeding stroke play round, and a few years ago he shot 61 on the par-68 South Course at Detroit Golf Club during the Michigan Medal Play Championship.
“This is definitely the best day of 36 I’ve ever had,” he said. “This morning everything was working, but I had a bogey on a par 5 with two bad chips across the green. I could have shot 58. This afternoon, I stayed with my plan of keeping the ball in play on the tight holes, being aggressive on a few of the holes where you can be and giving myself birdie chances. I putted great today.”
The 36-hole cut to the low 30 scores and ties fell at 5-over 145 with 31 golfers moving on to Tuesday’s final round.
Just six golfers shot par or better over the first two rounds.
RESULTS: Visit GAM.org or the Golf Genius App.
