Daniel Miller is on a hot streak for the ages.
The 2016 Mount Zion graduate won the Drysdale Golf Tournament Collegiate Division in Springfield Thursday and opened the first round of the Rex Spires Decatur Men's City Amateur Saturday with a low score of 68.
His 4-under par performance came after he bogeyed the first hole at Hickory Point Golf Course into the trees.
The University of Illinois Springfield golfer answered back quickly with a birdie on three of the next six holes – on his way to a personal best of five at the course – to get out of the front nine with a 2-under 34. He matched the score with a 34 on the back nine.
“I've hit off the fairway here before, but I was in a tree so I thought I was going to start getting screwed all day,” Miller said of the first hole. “I kind of had a round like that in my tournament in Springfield on Monday, but it was only my first hole so I wasn't too concerned.”
Things could not have been more different for Miller Saturday after a forgettable first round in Springfield Monday.
Monday was his “worst round of the summer,” with an 83 in the match play event. He was seeded last in the tournament after the round, but gradually lowered his scores before leaving Thursday with a tournament win.
Saturday was a far cry from that. Miller turned in a career-best effort at Hickory Point with his 68.
Going into his sophomore year of college, he's having the best summer of his career.
Miller has never won the event. He tied for seventh last year and enters today's play at Red Tail Run with a two-stroke lead on three other golfers at a course that's preferable to him.
But, he's keeping a level head on the heels of the second round.
This story appeared in the Herald & Review on July 15, 2017.
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