2022 Patriot All-America & Inaugural Thunderbolt Recap - Second Round
Written by David Bataller - Media Director, Arizona Golf Association
LITCHFIELD PARK, Ariz. – Arizona State University sophomore Grace Summerhays (-9 overall) and University of Oklahoma redshirt sophomore Stephen Campbell, Jr., (-9) will take leads into Saturday’s final round of their respective divisions of the 12th annual Patriot All-America at The Wigwam Golf Club. The University of Arizona’s Chaz Aurilia and Fresno State University’s Joseph Lloyd share the 36-hole lead at the inaugural Thunderbolt at Sterling Grove Golf + Country Club in Surprise, Ariz after Friday’s play. View the entire Patriot All-America leaderboard here, and The Thunderbolt leaderboard here.
“I felt pretty comfortable out there – my game feels good all around which is always comforting,” said Summerhays, a Communications major from Scottsdale, Ariz. “It was kind of an even-keeled round. I hit some good shots when I needed to and made a couple putts, but kind of got it going there at the end. I’m excited to get it started up again tomorrow.” “The putter got hot on the back nine,” said the Richmond, Tex.-native Campbell, Jr. “It was awesome closing it out on 18 in front of the fans and the crowd. There’s nothing more you can ask for.”
Summerhays came into the day with a three-shot lead, but saw her second round get stuck in neutral at even par through 15 holes. Birdies on 16 and 18 would get her to -9 overall for the tournament, good for a one-shot lead over San Jose State University’s Antonia Malate, who made eight birdies during a -5 (66) round to get to -8 overall. Xavier University’s Emma McMyler and the University of Oregon’s Briana Chacon are tied for third at -7, all chasing Summerhays in Saturday’s final round.
“I’ve had a couple of experiences like this and I think what works best for me is just staying aggressive,” said Summerhays of holding a tournament lead going into the final round. “I’m an overall very aggressive player, so that’s kind of leaning into my strengths a little bit. So I think the more birdies I try to make, the better.”
Campbell, Jr., was one under par for his second round making the turn before catching fire, playing the final five holes in -5, including an eagle on hole 14. His back nine 31 created some separation on the leaderboard at -9 overall, where he currently leads Oklahoma teammate Ben Lorenz and Purdue University’s Herman Sekne by two shots. Colorado State University’s Connor Jones is alone in fourth, with Arizona State University’s Gabriel Salvanera rounding out the top five.
At Sterling Grove Golf + Country Club, Chaz Aurilia and Joseph Lloyd matched scores for the second consecutive round, each firing 68-66’s to share the Thunderbolt lead at -10. Aurilia made an eagle with six birdies in his second round, while Lloyd made four birdies on each nine Friday. Aurilia’s Arizona teammate Calvin McCoy currently sits alone in third place at -7 overall, with Saint Mary’s College of California’s Zack Missigman in fourth at -6.
“I hit the ball really good off the tee and hit a lot of really good approach shots,” said Aurilia, a senior from Arcadia, Ariz. “I wasn’t making the short ones but I stayed patient and snuck a couple long ones in there to make up for it.”
“I didn’t really have a lot of outside makeable putts so every time I hit it I just stuffed it, which was nice, so I didn’t have to work a whole lot,” said Lloyd, a sophomore from Scottsdale, Ariz. “I’ve just got to continue to clean up some of the shorter putts and I’ll be good to go for tomorrow.”
The Patriot All-America honors fallen or severely wounded soldiers in partnership with the Folds of Honor Foundation. The golfers receive a golf bag donated by PING Corporation at the event’s opening ceremony emblazoned with the name and branch of service of a fallen or injured military member whom they shall represent. Participants also receive a card with the soldier’s story so they can be familiar with that soldier, giving many of the top players a unique perspective not only on golf, but on life. At the conclusion of the tournament, the golf bags are shipped to players’ schools and auctioned with all proceeds benefitting the Folds of Honor Foundation.
Named after the Air Force P-47 Thunderbolt, The Thunderbolt has been added to the tournament week schedule to accommodate players who met the initial eligibility but did not make it into The Patriot. The Thunderbolt consists of players who are ranked in the top 1000 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), are PING Second, Third and Honorable Mention All-Americans from Divisions II, III, NAIA, and NJCAA, or are AJGA Second Team and Honorable Mention All-Americans.
Final Round play for both the Patriot All-America and Thunderbolt from the is scheduled for 9:00 am on Friday, December 31. For more information including live stream links, live scoring and player pairings, visit patriotallamerica.com.
About The Patriot All-America Invitational
Featuring golf’s stars of tomorrow, The Patriot All-America is regarded as a top amateur event nationally, attracting PING All-America golfers from all three NCAA Divisions, NAIA and NJCAA rankings as well as from universities outside the United States. The Arizona Golf Association (AGA), JDM Partners and the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) partnering with the Folds of Honor Foundation to host the tournament. For more information visit patriotallamerica.com.
About Wigwam Golf Club
The Wigwam’s three 18-hole championship golf courses offer a diversity that cannot be matched by any other Arizona resort, with 54 holes of championship golf including two courses designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones, Sr. The Gold Course has hosted many signature tournaments over the years, including numerous U.S. Open Qualifiers, U.S. Amateur Qualifiers, several NCAA Regional Championships and the annual Patriot All-America Invitational, one of the top amateur competitions in the world. The 7,430 yard, par 72 track has also received various industry awards and accolades since opening in 1965, including being named one of the “Top 100 Golf Courses in America.” In December 2009, The Wigwam (including the golf courses and resort property) was purchased by JDM Partners, led by sports icon Jerry Colangelo. For more information, please visit www.wigwamgolf.com.
About Arizona Golf Association
The Arizona Golf Association has been serving amateur golfers in Arizona since 1923 when it held the first State Amateur Championship. Today, it is licensed by the United States Golf Association to provide handicapping and course rating services to member clubs, to provide tournament and rules expertise and to oversee the application of amateur status.
About Golf Coaches Association of America
Established in 1958, the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) is the professional organization of golf coaches. The GCAA's mission is to support its member coaches by creating educational opportunities, providing resources, and promoting its members with the purpose of enhancing their overall performance as coaches, mentors, and teachers. The GCAA also recognizes the excellence and achievements of its members and their student-athletes in academic, athletic and civic endeavors.
About The West Valley Mavericks
The West Valley Mavericks Foundation (a 501(c)(3) non-profit) was born of the imagination and vision of a group of community leaders late in 2012. The West Valley Mavericks (or just ‘Mavericks’) is a group led by gentlemen who believe that the West Valley is an incredible place to live, work, and play. The Mavericks’ charter is to advance charity, culture, community, and commerce in the West Valley of Phoenix. As an organization, we use individual contributions, fundraising events, business sponsorships, ticket sales donations, as well as hands-on community service to raise money to assist children and families, help people in need, and improve the quality of life in our West Valley communities. For more information please visit westvalleymavericksfoundation.org.