Smith finds form, grabs leads at 75th Herman Sani Tournament
It’s early August. That means it’s time to watch out for Grant Smith (above) on the golf course.
A year ago, Smith made it to the Round of 32 at the U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills outside Denver, Colo.
And his game is in fine form again this year. Smith shot a second-round 69 at Echo Valley Country Club Saturday and takes a two-shot lead into Sunday’s final round of the 75th Herman Sani Tournament hosted by Coppola Enterprises.
“I’m hitting it well right now,” said Smith, whose 5-under-par 139 total is two shots clear of Andrew Johannsen and Jackson Overton. “I’m just trying to score, and trying to compete.”
A final-hole birdie gave Johannsen a Saturday 70 to go with an an opening 71 for his two trips around Echo Valley’s Ridge and Creek nines.
“Hyperion is pretty tight, and I’d say the Creek nine is pretty tight, similar to the back nine at Hyperion,” Johannsen said. “And the Ridge nine is a pretty tough nine. You’ve really got to be on your game.”
Overton, a sophomore and member of the men’s golf team at Loyola of Chicago, finished on the Ridge course Saturday. Three straight birdies, starting at No. 6, got him to 6 under for the championship. But then he made an 8 on his closing hole and settled for a second-day 70.
“I hit two balls out-of-bounds (to the right),” Overton said. “Then I hit a 4-wood off the tee, hit a 4-iron into the bunker and got up-and-down for an 8. It was a good 8.”
Three players with a lot of winning experience start Sunday’s final round in a tie for third at 2-under 142. Chad Proehl and Zach Steffen are professionals and former Sani champions. And Denny Bull is an Echo Valley member coming off a victory at the Northwest Amateur last weekend.
Proehl, the 2013 Sani winner and the former head golf professional at Echo Valley, shot a second-round 71. His scorecard had one birdie and 17 pars.
Making the biggest jump was Steffen, who had opened with a 74 Friday. He finished Saturday’s round with four straight 3s on his card. That included birdies at the Ridge’s par-4 7th and 8th holes and an eagle at the par-5 9th. That gave Steffen a second-round 68, the lowest score of the championship to date.
“This gives me some life going into tomorrow,” said Steffen, who won both of his Sani titles (2018, 2021) at Hyperion Field Club.
Bull was sick when he returned home Sunday night from his winning road trip to Spencer.
“I was sicker than a dog Monday through Friday,” said Bull, who got to 4 under before a pair of late bogeys. “Today (Saturday) is the first day I’ve felt better, and my game’s pretty good. I’ll be playing at home. I’d like to think I have a chance. My game is there. I just need to execute a little better, and make some putts.”
Smith was in contention at the Iowa Amateur two weeks ago at Finkbine in Iowa City, but struggled with his putter in a final-round 74 and tied for 17th. He changed putters and feels more confident on the greens now.
“I’m rolling it a lot better,” Smith said. “I’m rolling it end-over-end. I’m hitting a lot of good putts. Some of them go in, some of them don’t.”
Echo Valley was more forgiving Saturday than it was in Friday’s first round, when just five players broke par and the scoring average for the field was 79.9. No one broke 70 in the first round, the first time that’s happened since Jon Brown’s 70 earned him the first-round lead in 2013.
The field average Saturday was about the same, at 79.3 strokes. But 17 players bettered par, with Steffen and Smith breaking 70.
Smith, who tied for seventh in the Northwest Amateur last week, knows the challenge facing him on Sunday.
“There are so many good players,” he said. “I’ve just got to focus on my own game. I know it’s probably going to take a score of a few under par. I’ve just got to focus on hitting my best shot each time.”
Joe Palmer shot a second-straight 70 in the senior amateur division, and takes a three-shot lead over Curtis Holck into play Sunday. Holck rallied from an opening 75 with a Saturday 68.
Dave Gaer shot 73 Saturday after an opening 70 in the super senior amateur division. His 1-under-par 143 total is six shots clear of Robert Pomerantz.