Carter shoots 64, leads SC Amateur by 2 strokes

Aiken’s Jake Carter, birdied six of his first eight holes Thursday and seized the first-round lead in the 87th annual South Carolina Amateur Championship at Dataw Island’s Cotton Dike Course.

Carter, who plays at Florida State, fashioned a 7-under-par 64 and heads into Friday’s second round with a two-stroke advantage over Columbia’s William Harwood, who plays at Elon, and Johns Island’s Ben Karns, who played at Presbyterian.

Ryan Marter (Columbia/Wofford), who tied for second a year ago, Logan Sowell (Kershaw/College of Charleston) and Robert Lutomski (Simpsonville) are another stroke back after opening 67s. Sharing seventh with 68s are Sawyer Mills (Easley/Winthrop) and Grainger Howle (Darlington/Francis Marion).

An afternoon thunderstorm forced a one hour, 40-minute delay, and officials called play with one group still on the course.

Carter started with six birdies, one par and one bogey and made the turn in 5-under 30. A double-bogey on the par-4 17th sliced into his lead, but he came back with another birdie on the final hole.

Harwood had an eagle, four birdies and one bogey in his 5-under 66. Karns started on No. 10 and made the turn at 1-under-par. He ripped off four straight birdies (Nos. 1-4) and played the front nine in 31 to capture his share of second.

Marter had seven birdies and three bogeys in his 67. Sowell had a share of second before bogeying the 18th to drop into a tie for fourth. Lutomski played steady golf with five birdies and one bogey.

Defending champion Gregg Jones made triple-bogey 7 on the third hole and is tied for 47 th at 3-over 74.