Defending men's champion Jordan Miller fashioned the only sub-par round in the tournament to earn the 36-hole lead Friday in the Alaska State Amateur golf tournament at Moose Run's difficult Creek Course.
Miller delivered a 1-under 71 to give him a 36-hole total of 144 and a two-shot lead over multi-time champion Greg Sanders, who shot 73. Miller and Sanders, whose most recent Am victory came in 2014, finished 1-2 in the Am last year.
Adam Baxter, the 2015 champ, generated a 76 that left him seven strokes behind Miller in third place at 151. Baxter is tied with Brody Vecera, who shot a 77. Sitting fifth at 154 is Aaron Roth after his 75 Friday. Only four golfers in the championship-flight field of 28 golfers are within 10 strokes of Miller entering Saturday's round.
The tournament, which features all four rounds on the Creek Course and closes Sunday, included the first round of women's play Friday.
Anika Richards owns the women's championship-flight lead after her 78, which earned her a three-shot cushion on defending champion Katelin Richards.
In the men's first flight, Mark Adams tied for the third-best score Friday in any flight with his 74, which cut in half his eight-shot deficit to William Arnold after Thursday's opening round. Arnold, who shot 78, sits at 159 after 36 holes for a four-shot cushion on Adams.
Adams on Friday finished 15 strokes better than his 89 on Thursday and vaulted from a tie for 16th-place to solo second place.