Scott Usher

Four Share Lead Heading Into Final Round at Catawba Springs

Hickory, NC- Spring Creek Classic Champion Michael Sims came home in 29 strokes on his final nine holes Thursday to post his second consecutive 6-under-par 66 to grab a share of the lead after the second round of the Tarheel Tour’s Lake Hickory Open at Catawba Springs. After bogeying two of his first three holes, Sims ultimately turned in a disappointing 1-over-par 37 on his opening nine. The Bermuda native then birdied the second and third holes and parred the fourth, before birdieing his final five holes to shoot a blistering inward nine of 29 en route to 66 and a 12-under-par total.

Joining Sims at 12-under is former Nationwide Tour player Tommy Biershenk. The Boiling Springs, SC native made seven biridies against just one bogey on his way to his second consecutive 66. Despite several top ten finishes this season, the former Clemson standout is still looking for his first win on the Tarheel Tour in 2008. The former Clemson Tiger won the 2006 Kannapolis Classic.

In the afternoon wave, two time Tarheel Tour winner Dane Burkhart backed up a first round 65 with a solid 5-under-par 67 on his way to grabbing a share of the 36-lead. Completing the quartet of leaders is former Augusta State star Major Manning. The Daytona Beach, FL resident became the third player to shoot matching 66’s in the opening two rounds to reach 12-under-par.

Another quartet of players are in the thick of the battle at 11-under-par, just one off the pace. Tarheel Tour money leader David Robinson backed up a 7-under-par 65 in the first round with a 4-under-par 68 to put himself in good position to claim his third victory of the season on Friday. Playing in the same group with Robinson, former Tarheel Tour winner and nearby Lenoir, NC native Jason Martin briefly tied the course record with a ten-birdie outbreak en route to a 9-under-par 63. Paired with his opening round of 2-under 70, Martin jumped into a share of fifth, just one shot back.

Also just one shot back is South African Louis Moolman. Moolman backed up his first round 67 with a 6-under-par 66 which included nine birdies. Moolman had a strong winter and spring on the Sunshine Tour in South Africa where his best finish was fifth place in the Joburg Open. In limited action this season on the Tarheel Tour, his best finish was last week, where he tied for 25th at the River Hills Open. Completing the quartet of players’ just one back is Oak Bridge, TN native Scott Stallings. Stallings jumped into a share of fifth with a bogey free round of 65.

Playing in the same group with Stallings, Johns Island, SC resident Scott Usher went from being in danger of missing the 36-hole cut being in contention for his first Tarheel Tour victory after firing a blistering course record 10-under-par 62. Usher, who had his best finish of the season last week with a third place showing at River Hills, rebounded from an opening round of 74 to get into the hunt at 8-under-par. In his course record setting performance, Usher made nine pars, eight birdies and an eagle. “I just played stress free all round. The longest par putt I had was five feet, and I was just able to make most of the reasonable chances I had at birdies.” said Usher. The USC-Aiken graduate jumped an astonishing 69 spots up the leader board in the second round and into 18th place.

First round co-leaders Lee Williams and Jeff Castle each shot 2-under-par 70 and are only two off the pace heading into the final round in a share of ninth place.

The Catawba Springs course once again yielded excellent scoring with no wind and soft greens being factors, as the field averaged 71.23 strokes, in the second round, just over half a shot tougher than the opening round. The cut fell at a season low 5-under-par 139, with 46 players surviving to play the final round on Friday and compete for the $97,100 purse with a winner’s share of $16,000. The final round of the Lake Hickory Open at Catawba Springs begins on Friday morning at 7:30 a.m. on the first and tenth tees, with the final group teeing off at 8:40 on the first tee. Admission to the tournament is free and open to the public.

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