Bridgeman extends lead in Junior Boys'

 

The second round of the Carolinas Junior Boys’ Championship shared the same headlines as the first round, triple digit temperatures and Jacob Bridgeman leading the way. The Inman, S.C. native came into the day with a two stroke lead and quickly found his grove with a birdie on No. 2. Another birdie on the par-5 sixth pushed the Clemson commit to two-under-par on the front. “I played solid on the front, nothing special but I knew I had some opportunities waiting on the back,” Bridgeman said. Having already created some separation, Bridgeman started to look like a runaway train when he made four straight birdies starting on No. 12. “I hit my first two approaches to five feet and made those, the third one was about ten feet, and the fourth was a tap-in. I left one about an inch short for five in-a-row,” Bridgeman said.  The rising junior fell back to earth and finished with a bogey on No. 18, but still carries a five-shot lead into the final round after shooting a four-under-par 68. After two sub-70 rounds, Bridgeman does not plan on changing much, “I’m going to go out with the same mindset tomorrow and try to make a bunch of birdies.”  

 

Bridgeman was not the only South Carolinian to break 70. Zack Gordon of Gaffney, S.C. was one-over-par after the first round, but immediately got back to even with a birdie on his first hole, No. 10. Gordon kept his steady play going and turned in a three-under-par 69 to vault into second place. Joining him at second place is Tim Bunten of Concord, N.C. Like Gordon, Bunten was one-over-par after his first round. The similarities continued as Bunten birdied his first hole, No. 10. A three-under-par first nine followed by an even par second nine leaves Bunten tied for second after a three-under-par 69. Matthew Sharpstene of Ashville, N.C. tied Bridgeman for the round of the day with a four-under-par 68. The University of West Virginia commit now finds himself in a tie for sixth.

 

The 138 player field has been cut to the low 60 and ties with 66 players making the cut which feel at 10-over-par 144. The final round of the Carolina Junior Boys’ Championship will begin at 8:00 a.m.

 

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