Golf: Alter grad Kreusch takes 1-stroke lead after three rounds at Ohio Am

ajc.com

T.J. Kreusch finished strong Thursday to surge to a one-stroke lead after three rounds in the Ohio Amateur at Zanesville Country Club.

Kreusch, a former Alter High School player who will begin his college career this year at Dayton, birdied twice to start the back nine and eagled No. 13 on his way to a 69 and the lead at 12-under par heading into Friday’s final round.

First- and second-round leader Joe Wilson IV shot a two-over par 74 to slip to 11-under but remained in second place. Wilson IV, the 2021 Division state champion for Lakota East who plays for Ohio State, is tied with Bradley Chill Jr. of Colombia Station.

Another area player, Jordan Gilkison, is two shots off the lead in a three-way tie for fourth at 10-under par. Gilkison, the 2020 state champion for Springboro High School, shot 67 for his lowest round of the tournament.

Four shots off the lead at 8-under is another former Alter player, Grant Tabar. He shot 71. Tied for 16th at 6-under are Wright State’s Shane Ochs and Davis Gochenouer. Each shot 70. Gochenouer was the Division II state champion for Alter in 2022 when the Knights won the team title.

Daviat Pandya, formerly of Centerville and the University of Kentucky, shot 70 and is 5-under in a tie for 20th.

Other players with area ties are former Dayton Flyer Domenic Maricocchi (69) at 4-under, former Alter player Brody Simms (70) at 3-under, Wright State’s Jake Wittenauer (72) at 1-under, and former Cedarville University player Isaak Ramsey (73) and Wright State’s Ian Asch at 1-over par.

Forty-two players survived the cut after three rounds.

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