Three still share lead in Athens
ATHENS, Georgia – South Carolina rookie Mark Anderson, leading money-winner Bobby Gates and Utah’s Daniel Summerhays are all at 7-under 135 and share the 36-hole lead at the Stadion Athens Classic at UGA. Anderson and Gates carded 2-under 69s on Friday at the University of Georgia Golf Course, while Summerhays went one better with a 3-under 68 to force a tie at the top.Washington’s Michael Putnam (69) and Texan J.J. Killeen (67) are tied for fourth and one shot back in the Nationwide Tour event. Four players – Ryan Armour (67), Bradley Iles (71), Martin Piller (70) and veteran Bob May (68) are two strokes back heading into the weekend.
The UGA course, opened in 1968 and renovated in 2006, continues to be the story as players battle the speedy greens, tall pines and undulating layout. Only 38 players in the starting field of 156 have posted sub-par totals for the first two days.
“This golf course is awesome,” said Armour, an Ohio State product. “I wish we could play more golf courses that made us think as much as this one’s doing, instead of just bombing and bashing. This is fun golf. It’s stressful, but it’s fun.”
It wasn’t much fun for Anderson, a 2008 graduate of the University of South Carolina, who battled his way to a 69 despite hitting only four of 14 fairways.
“I was driving on both sides of the golf course,” said Anderson. “I didn’t have just one miss so it was tough to play. I missed a lot of short putts for birdie inside of 10 feet but I hit it really solid from the fairway or wherever I drove it to.”
After rolling in a birdie putt at No. 17 to reach 8-under, he drove it behind a pine tree down the right side of the 18th fairway. The ball ended up buried in pine straw and the 24-year old had no choice but to chip out. He managed to salvage a bogey and grad a share of the lead, right where he started the day.
“I haven’t made any big numbers,” he said of his play thus far. “You have to stay away from the big numbers because they’re out there. I’ve just plodded along and made some nice par putts. I’m disappointed with the way I finished but it could have been a little worse.”
No so for Summerhays, who admitted he got all he could on Friday afternoon.
“There aren’t too many shots that I left out there, let’s just say that,” said the former BYU standout. “I drove it better than I did yesterday. I honestly felt like I played better Friday than I did yesterday (68) but I think the course is playing tougher this afternoon than it did yesterday morning.”
Summerhays was just happy he got to tee it up this week, having started off on Monday as the 10thalternate to the field.
“I’ve been playing well and I was really hoping I’d get in this week,” he said. “I knew I just needed to get in the Tournament. I’ve been playing well but my scores haven’t reflected how I’ve been playing this year. I missed three cuts by a shot. I just needed a few breaks. I feel really blessed to be in the Tournament.”
Though tied at the top, Anderson, Summerhays and the rest of the field are chasing Gates, a 6-6” rookie out of Texas A&M who has stood tall atop the money list since winning the opening event on the 2010 schedule. Gates ranks among the Tour’s longest hitters this year, but this week he’s managed to solve the winds and the slick greens.
“The wind swirls through the trees and it can be doing two different things on the same hole at the same time,” he said. “What you feel on the tee is completely opposite of what you feel on the green. You really have to try and figure it out with you best guess and hope to err on the right side.”
Gates hit 11 of 14 fairways and 12 of 18 greens during Friday’s second round. His 53 total putts thus far puts him No. 2 in the field.
“I knew putting would be critical this week. Above the hole or below the hole, it doesn’t matter,” he said. “They’re so fast, you cannot be aggressive on these putts. The only thing I’m more conservative with this week is my speed on the putts. I’m really trying to die my putts into the hole. If you hit it an ounce too firm you’re going to have eight feet coming back, and that’s just going to wear you out.”
Second-Round Notes:
* Mathew Borchert (83) withdrew prior to the start of the second round.
* A total of 69 players made the 36-hole cut, which came at 1-over 143.
* Due to expected inclement weather on Saturday afternoon, third-round tee times will be moved up. Pairings will be in threesomes off the 1st and 10th tees. The times will run from 8:00-10:00 a.m.
* Former Georgia All-America Kevin Kisner posted the low round of the first two days with a 6-under 65. His score was two strokes better than the field on Friday. Kisner opened with a 2-over 73 and was tied for 76th place. He moved up 66 spots and is tied for 10th heading into the weekend.
* The low rounds of the day: 65 – Kevin Kisner; 67 – Ryan Armour, Garrett Osborn, Mark Hensby and J.J. Killeen.
* Patrick Sheehan, winner of last year’s Athens Regional Foundation Classic at Jennings Mill CC, fired a 3-under 68 Friday and is 2-under for the Tournament. He is tied for 19th.
* The scoring average for the opening round was 72.235.
* There are nine current/former Georgia Bulldogs in the field this week:
Justin Bolli 74-69—143 (+1) T51
Paul Claxton 72-69—141 (-1) T29
Harris English @ 68-73—141 (-1) T29
Brian Harmon 73-70—143 (+1) T51
Russell Henley @ 73-70—143 (+1) T51
Chris Kirk 69-73—142 (E) T38
Kevin Kisner 73-65—138 (4) T10
Matt Peterson 71-76—147 (+5) m/c
Brendon Todd 76-74—150 (+8) m/c
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