UNF senior Jason Duff builds a four-shot lead entering final round of the Florida Amateur
Jason Duff birdied four of his first seven holes at the Quail Valley Golf and River Club in Vero Beach and opened up a four-shot lead in Saturday’s third round of the 107th Florida Amateur, at 15-under-par 201.
Duff, a Menendez graduate from Elkton and a rising senior at the University of North Florida, finished with a 66 that included birdies on all four par-5 holes. He birdied Nos. 1, 3, 6 and 7 to kick-start his round.
Christian Figueredo of Miami, a Florida Gulf Coast sophomore, shot 70 with five birdies and three bogeys and is alone in second at 11-under. John Daly II of Clearwater, a rising junior at Arkansas and the namesake of the two-time major champion, birdied four of his first five holes and with a 66 moved into sole possession of third at 9-under.
Florida Amateur fourth-round tee times
Defending champion Marc Dull battles back
Two First Coast residents are tied for fourth at 8-under, Jimmy Ellis of Atlantic Beach (69) and Matthew Soucinek of Lake City (69). Ellis birdied three holes in a row at Nos. 13, 14 and 15 to get on the first page of the leaderboard and Soucinek had a bogey-free round and parred his last 11 holes.
Defending champion Marc Dull of Lakeland continues to battle back from an opening round 73 and shot a 67 with three bogeys to finish at 7-under with another past Florida Amateur champion, Jacob Huizinga of Orland (72). Also at 7-under are UNF senior and Bartram Trail graduate Brett Schell (73) and former UNF player Cooper Smith of Tampa (71), now at South Florida.
How did Jason Duff shoot his 66?
Duff two-putted the par-5 seventh from 40 feet and the 14th from 12 feet. He laid up on the other two par-5 holes, Nos. 3 and 10, to set up 10-foot birdie putts.
He got his day off to a fine start with a 15-foot birdie roll at the first. His other two birdie putts were from 2 and 9 feet.
"I've been playing well for about six months now, and it seemed like just a few shots away from putting together a week like this," he said. "I'm not making mistakes, I am being aggressive when I can but being very disciplined about the times when I shouldn't, and going out and executing the shots."
Jason Duff has won blow-outs in the past
Duff has a history of stepping on the gas. He won the 2022 Jacksonville Area Golf Association Amateur by 11 shots at the Deerwood Country Club, with a final-round 64.
He also has enough confidence to believe that it will take an extraordinary round by one of his pursuers if he continues playing like he has in the first three rounds.
"John and Christian are very tough competitors," Duff said. "If I make mistakes and they have good starts it will be close. But if I keep doing the things I've been doing it's going to be tough for them. I've put myself in a very good position with a four-shot lead and six over third place."
The final round is Sunday at Quail Valley with the final group of Duff, Figueredo and Daly teeing off at 9:27 a.m.
107th Florida Amateur
At Quail Valley Golf and River Club, Vero Beach (par-72)
Leaderboard
Jason Duff, Elkton 68-67-66--201
Christian Figueredo, Miami 66-69-70--205
John Daly, Clearwater 70-71-66--207
Tyler Gulliksen, Flagler Beach 69-73-66--208
Jimmy Ellis, Atlantic Beach 69-70-69--208
Matthew Soucinek, Lake City 70-69-69--208
Marc Dull, Lakeland 73-69-67--209
Cooper Smith, Tampa 71-67-71--209
Brett Schell, St. Augustine 71-66-72--209
Jacob Huizinga, Orlando 67-70-72—209
Other First Coast players
Mike Smith, Ponte Vedra Beach 71-70- 70--211
Colton Swartz, Fleming Island 73-70-69--212
Andrew Morgan, Jacksonville 71-69-72--212
Nolan Harper, St. Augustine 72-69-72--213
Jordan Batchelor, Jacksonville 76-69-70--215
Sam Ohno, Ponte Vedra Beach 73-68-74--215
Landon Durham, Ponte Vedra Beach 72-71-72--215
Henry Robards, Ponte Vedra Beach 71-73-74--218
Andrew Morris, St. Augustine 78-68-73--219
Luke Balaskiewicz, Jacksonville 74-73-73--220
Jackson Klauk, St. Augustine 70-75-78--223
Luke Splane, St. Augustine 72-74-79--225
Brock Blais, Ponte Vedra Beach 76-71-78--225
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jason Duff takes charge at Florida Amateur with a 66 and a four-shot lead
