Scott Leads By One After Two Rounds At Tour Championship

Andy Bare

Goldsboro, NC- Richard Scott shot a second round 70 and holds a tenuous one-shot lead over Bruce McDonald heading into the final round of the Tarheel Tour Championship at Walnut Creek Country Club Thursday.

Richard & Bruce Scott, a three time Canadian Amateur champion fired a sizzling first round 63 and led by three-shots heading into second round action, but was only able to manage two-birdies and 16-pars in a round that featured a swirling breeze and intermittent rain showers. “I feel like I hit the ball just as well as I did yesterday, I just didn't make the putts,” stated the former Georgia Bulldog. Through 36-holes Scott has made 11-birdies and zero bogies a formula that should serve him well in the final round at Walnut Creek as well as at PGA Tour qualifying school in the weeks ahead.

Trailing Scott by a single shot is South African native Bruce McDonald. The College of Charleston alumnus enters the final round after firing matching 67's on the celebrated Ellis Maples layout the first two rounds. McDonald's second round score could have been even better, but his seven-birdies were offset somewhat by an uncharacteristic double bogey at the long par-4 sixteenth hole.

Three players are tied at nine-under par 135 including North Augusta, SC resident Scott Brown. The 2007 Bermuda Run Open champion opened the tournament with a mediocre opening round 70 early Wednesday morning, but redeemed himself in the second round firing a seven-under par 65, giving him a share of third place as well as the low round of the day. Brown, a three time national champion at USC-Aiken, is looking for redemption at Walnut Creek Country Club this week. At the Walnut Creek Classic back in June, Brown led for most of the tournament before a few late bogies and lipped out eight footer for birdie on the final hole left him one shot shy of Jay McLuen's 12-under par total.

Bryant & Jeff Tied with Brown at nine-under par is Auburn alumnus Bryant MacKeller. The Fairhope, AL native played in the more difficult morning wave and rode the momentum he gathered with his strong first round finish to a bogey free second round 69.

Jeff Curl, the 2006 Stonebridge Open champion continued his strong play of late carding a six-birdie, one bogey round of 67. Curl is looking to improve on last week's runner-up finish at the Salisbury Classic. A strong final round should assure the former UNCC 49er of his seventh top-10 finish in his last eight events.

Andy Bare, playing in the same group as Brown, matched Brown's 65 shot for shot. The Jacksonville, Fl native made eight birdies and an eagle in his second round, but bogies on three of the four par-threes forced him to settle for a tie with Brown for medalist honors Wednesday. Bare enters the final round with a six-under par total and is looking to notch his ninth top-6 finish of the season.

The cut fell at three-under par 141 after 36 holes with 47 players surviving to play Friday's final round. The total purse this week is $102,700 with the winner taking home $16,000. Friday's final round is will begin at 8:30 AM. The public is invited to watch the final round free of charge.