Boros takes lead at NE Pennsylvania Classic
By Joe Chemycz, PGA TOUR Staff
Moscow, Pa. -- Guy Boros, one of golf's more engaging personalities, is having fun again. The 44-year old veteran posted his best round of the year Friday and moved to the top of the leaderboard at the Nationwide Tour's Northeast Pennsylvania Classic. The amiable Floridian stands at 9-under 131 after two trips around the Elmhurst Country Club, two strokes in front of Norway's Henrik Bjornstad (67) and 2008 NCAA Champion Kevin Chappell (66), a Monday qualifier.
Garrett Osborn (68) and David McKenzie (65) share fourth place, three back of Boros. Spencer Levin (67), Chris Tidland (66) are four behind the leader.
Boros has struggled this year, making only four cuts in his 10 starts on this Tour and four of seven on the PGA TOUR. A tie for 20th at the South Georgia Classic in April has been his best finish thus far on either Tour.
"I'm playing better," said Boros. "You get down on yourself for two years and it's no fun to play golf. Things started going bad and it kind of snowballed. I got a lesson about two months ago. I look forward to coming to the golf course. When things are going bad and you're hitting it bad and not making anything, it's not much fun out there."
Boros is having a little more fun because he's suddenly putting better. He's tied for the tournament lead with a dozen birdies, thanks mainly to a new putter grip. Not a new putter, just the grip.
"I didn't like the other one that was on there. I'm mental anyway, maybe it has something to do with it," he said of the change that came Wednesday. "I put on a USA one. I'm pretty patriotic so I threw that one on there. I'm hitting good putts."
Boros is third in putting this week, a far cry from his statistical ranking of No. 108 this year. Of his six birdies Friday, four came from inside of eight feet and two were in the 15-foot range, including his last birdie on his next-to-last hole.
"That putt might be the best putt I've made in 10 years," he said. "It broke about five feet and it was only 15 feet long. It barely rolled in so I was very happy with that one."
Bjornstad was happy to finish in the morning, getting done before the rains really kicked in the first time.
"I'm very pleased with the way I played today," said Bjornstad, who carded a bogey-free 67. "I hit a lot of fairways which is what you have to do, especially with this rough getting wetter. It's the type of course where you have to be patient and par isn't all that bad."
The season hasn't been that bad for the native of Oslo who has now made the cut in 16 of 20 starts, including nine in a row, and stands No. 19 on the money list.
"I think I'm a little more patient this year than in previous years," said Bjornstad, who finished No. 76 and 61 the past two seasons. "If I had the same mindset this year as I did last year or the year before, I'd be a little more frustrated for not making birdies. Now I'm calmer and waiting for things to happen instead of trying to force them."
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Second-Round Notes:
• Tournament leader Guy Boros ranks No. 131 in scoring average before the cut this year. That number, 131, also happens to be his opening 36-hole score.
• Kevin Chappell (T2) gained entry into the event as a Monday qualifier. This is the fifth time Chappell has successfully qualified for a Nationwide Tour event in 2009 but it is the first cut he's made so far. Chappell won the 2008 NCAA Individual Championship and helped the UCLA Bruins win the NCAA team title.
• Rain fell during mid-day for a short time and then stopped until late in the afternoon. Rain resumed about 5:30 p.m. and did not stop. Friday's high temperature was only 59 degrees.
• Todd Fischer was disqualified Friday morning when he did not show up for his 7:50 a.m. tee time.
• James Oh withdrew during the second round due to a shoulder injury.
• Kevin Johnson, a two-time winner this year and in search of a "battlefield promotion" that comes with three wins in a single season, has posted rounds of 70-68--138 and is 4-under par. Johnson had missed the cut in six of his last seven starts since winning for the second time in 2009 at the Knoxville Open.
• Chad Ginn celebrated his 39th birthday Friday with a 1-under round of 69. Ginn is at 139 (1-under) and will play on the weekend.
• Best rounds of the day:
64 (-6) Guy Boros
65 (-5) Cameron Percy, David McKenzie, Derek Fathauer
66 (-4) Kevin Chappell, Chris Tidland, Ron Whittaker
• Seven of the top-10 money winners are in the field this week and all seven made the cut and are in a position to maintain or improve their positions on the money list.
2. Chris Tidland 69-66--135 (-5)
4. Tom Gillis 68-71--139 (-1)
5. Roger Tambellini 72-67--139 (-1)
6. Kevin Johnson 70-68--138 (-2)
7. Justin Bolli 67-71--138 (-2)
9. Derek Lamely 69-71--140 (E)
10. Garth Mulroy 70-70--140 (E)
• A total of 72 players made the 36-hole cut, which came at even-par 140.
• 17-year-old Nicholas Reach, a junior-to-be at nearby Scranton Prep, posted a 5-over 75 and finished at 6-over 146. Reach received a sponsor's exemption into the tournament just as he did last year when he posted scores of 67-76 but missed the cut.
• Friday's scoring average on the par-70 layout was 71.000.
• There were no eagles recorded during the second round.
• First-round leader Michael Sims shot a 3-over 73 and is currently tied for 19th place.
• 2001 champion Jason Hill finished gave five shots back to par over his final five holes and finished with a 4-over 74. Hill, who was 5-under after the first day, made the cut but is tied for 45th place.
• Steve Wheatcroft (67-138) rolled off four consecutive birdies starting at No. 11. Michael Putnam (73-147) also had four birdies in a row starting at No. 6.
• The overnight forecast calls for heavy rains and tournament officials announced early in the day that Saturday's third-round tee times would be in threesomes off the 1st and 10th tees.
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