Leishman leads after two rounds of WNB Classic
MIDLAND, Texas -- The taller players were head and shoulders above the rest in the “Tall City” – Midland’s official nickname since the city skyline towers above the plains – in the second round of the WNB Golf Classic.Marc Leishman, the 6-2 Australian, posted a bogey-free 6-under 66 to lead at 11-under 133 after 36-holes.
Brendon Todd (68) is tied for second at 8-under with Tom Gillis (70), Spencer Levin (70) and Michael Boyd (67).
Michael Putnam (67) and Ricky Barnes (68), the bubble-boy at 25th on the money list, are tied for sixth at 7-under.
Won Joon Lee (69) is alone in eighth at 6-under while three players are tied for ninth at 5-under, including money leader, Brendon de Jonge (68). Overnight co-leader, Reid Edstrom (75) dropped back into a tie for 15th.
Leishman, from Warnambool, a small, coastal Australian town with a fabulous golf course, had been playing well this year without getting the desired results until he finished in a tie for second at last month’s Utah Championship, after holding the 36-hole lead. The recent two week break has the 24-year-old feeling fresh and thinking he’s on the verge of something good.
“Today the greens are softer and there’s nowhere near as much wind but yesterday was brutal,” said Leishman. “Yesterday, I scrambled really well and basically turned a 71 into a 67 with a fortunate finish but today I hit it good and putted really well.”
The fortunate finish Leishman refers to was a holed 5-iron for eagle at the par-5 15th hole followed by birdies at 17 and 18 to close his round, taking only 22 putts. Nothing like that today, just good, solid golf.
“I’ll draw on my experience from Utah over the weekend,” said Leishman. “I learned a lot from that.”
Todd, an Atlanta resident who won the Utah Championship last month, began his round with a bogey at No. 10 then three-putted his ninth hole to make the turn at even par for the day. Four birdies on his back nine, including three in a row on hole Nos. 2, 3 and 4, had Todd, who stands 6-3, in the clubhouse at 8-under 136.
“Since winning I think I’m more relaxed out here,” said Todd. “There’s not as much pressure to win now that I’m inside the top-15. I’m putting good again and I love this firm, fast golf course. It tends to favor me.”
Putnam, at 6-4, one of the tallest players on the Nationwide Tour, has three top-10s from 23 starts this season and lies 46th on the money list with $119,260. The Tacoma, WA, native admitted it’s an average performance by his standards, and he hopes to turn it around this weekend at the Midland Country Club.
“I’ve had a couple of good weeks here and there but I’ve never been in serious contention,” he explained. “I played real well yesterday to shoot 2-under and I played about the same and shot 5-under today. I have a good chance to be in contention this weekend.”
Second Round News & Notes: Tom Johnson and Gibby Gilbert III withdrew before the start of the second round…Bob Burns (68) shot his lowest round of the year and made his second cut for the season (Bank of America Open). He is tied for ninth…Leishman (66 – low round of the day) and Hunter Haas (71) were the only bogey-free rounds of the day...Adam Rubinson (73), playing on a sponsor’s invitation, made the cut on the number, despite two front-nine double-bogeys…Roger Tambellini (70) made his 10th consecutive cut…The scoring average was 72.373…The cut came at even-par 144 (a tournament first) with 69 players advancing to the weekend…Saturday’s tee-times will begin at 8:05am from both the 1st and 10th tee’s due to possible inclement weather.
Return to Other Tours archives