Here’s a prime example of how younger players have dominated the Jacksonville Area Golf Association Championship in recent years: the old man among the top five is Jason Duff, who will be a senior at the University of North Florida this fall.
Co-leader Luke Balaskiewicz is a rising senior at Bolles. The other co-leader, Adam Waller will be a sophomore at Valdosta State. Landon Durham of Ponte Vedra Beach will be a junior at Elon and Danny Erickson of Ponte Vedra will be a redshirt freshman at UNF.
Jacksonville Amateur leaderboard
Jacksonville Amateur third-round tee times
And there hasn’t been much the veteran amateurs on the First Coast have been able to do to hold the young ‘uns off. Thirteen of the last 14 JAGA Amateur champions have been active college or high school players, with only Mike Smith in 2021 at Marsh Landing winning after graduating from James Madison.
Waller had a bogey-free 66 on Friday at the Jacksonville Golf and Country Club and barged into his share of the lead with Balskiewicz (70) at 6-under-par 138 entering Saturday’s final round.
Duff, who won the JAGA Amateur in 2022 at Deerwood and finished second last year at San Jose, (70) didn’t drop a shot until No. 18 and is tied with Durham (70) at 5-under. Erickson (70) is alone in fifth at 3-under.
Balaskiewicz dropped two shots at the end
Balaskiewicz had a two-shot lead with two holes to play thanks to a run of birdies at Nos. 14 (a 6-foot putt), 15 (a 15-footer) and 16 (a tap-in after chipping on with his third shot).
Name games: Luke Balaskiewicz, Emmett Kuhlenkamp share Jacksonville Amateur lead at 4-under
But he missed the final two greens and failed to get up-and-down, the only chinks in the armor of what had been a very good 34 holes to that point.
“I struggled a bit at the beginning and then a little bit at the end but it’s all good,” he said. “It’s going to get a little tighter [in the final round].”
Waller trying to join Wolfson teammate as JAGA winner
Waller, who was part of a formidable Wolfson High team in 2022 that included last year’s amateur champion Will Davis, his brother Sam Davis and Adam Vermut, birdied his first hole on a 7-foot putt, made two short ones at Nos. 5 and 6, then drained 20-footers for birdie at Nos. 11 and 12.
He added a 15-footer for birdie at No. 16 and missed a chance to go lower when he spanked a 6-iron to within 4 feet at No. 17 and missed the birdie attempt.
Waller said he learned a valuable lesson during his first semester at Valdosta State, applied it during a fine spring season in which he was the Big South Freshman of the Week three times in a row, and continued to keep it to heart during another hot, slow-paced day.
“I was putting too much pressure on myself the first semester,” he said. “I started to pace myself, slow down the process and take my time.”
That doesn’t mean Waller is playing slow. But he tries to slow down his thought process while walking to his ball and in tournaments where he can ride in a cart, such as this week, Waller frequently turns the wheel over to his playing partner and will walk many holes after his tee shot.
“I prefer walking,” he said. “It’s helped me.”
Former UNF coach Jeff Dennis lurking
The leaders will have to restrain themselves at looking over their shoulder at one of the veterans in the field, former UNF coach Jeff Dennis, who held the 36-hole lead by two shots in the Amateur last year at San Jose before Davis fired a closing 67.
He eagled No. 8 on a 6-foot putt and posted a bogey-free 67 to move into a tie for sixth with rising Fleming Island senior Emmett Kuhlenkamp (75) and rising Flagler College sophomore and Bishop Snyder graduate Matthew French (68, with birdies on five of his first 11 holes).
Dennis coached Duff in his first two seasons at UNF and now works for the PGA Tour in player relations.
The 9-over cut left 48 players for the third round on Saturday.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Amateur continues to be dominated by First Coast’s young stars
