Runner-up, runner-up, win? Tereshko hopes so.
(CGA photo)
DAVIDSON, NC (June 17, 2017) -
Justin Tereshko of Greensboro will have a shot at redemption Sunday. A third round 68 boosted Tereshko to the top of the 57th North Carolina Amateur Championship leaderboard at River Run Country Club in Davidson. A runner-up in this championship the last two years, Tereshko holds a three-stroke lead heading into the final round.
Related: Monroe Invitational Round 2 Highlights and an Interview with Co-Leader Justin Tereshko
On Saturday Tereshko played his first six holes in five-under-par, quickly erasing the two-shot deficit he faced. After a birdie on the par-5 second hole, Tereshko make a long birdie putt on the par-3 4th. The tees on the par-4 5th were moved up to 294-yards, enticing players to choose whether to drive the green or play conservatively, short of the greenside pond. Tereshko decided to go for the green, driving the ball 300 yards and two-putting for his third birdie. On the par-5 6th, he drained a 40-foot uphill birdie putt to vault into first place.
"With my team my goal for them every tournament is to be in the last group going into the final round," said Tereshko, the golf coach at Guilford College in Greensboro. "That means you're in a position to win." For the remainder of the round, Tereshko mixed three bogeys with two birdies to post four-under 68 and claim the 54-hole lead at six-under overall 72-70-68--210).
"Fairways and greens should get the job done tomorrow because I'm putting pretty well," said Tereshko, 27, the fifth ranked amateur in North Carolina. "Hopefully I will get the monkey off my back tomorrow."
Tereshko's closest competitor starting Sunday's final round will be 17-year-old Lansdon Robbins of Davidson (69-74-70--213). A rising high school senior at Cannon School, Robbins used four consecutive birdies to climb into second place. It began with an up and down birdie on the shortened par-4 5th, followed by a two-putt birdie on the par-5 6th, then a four-foot birdie on the par-3 8th, and punctuated by a 7-iron to a foot on No. 9. "I didn't really have to make any putts [in that stretch], which was nice," laughed Robbins.
Playing his home course, Robbins spends time at River Run Country Club everyday, whether with his Cannon School golf teammates or practicing on his own. He is looking forward to the challenge of playing alongside the leader. "I'm going to go out there and treat it as any other round. Just play golf and try my best."
Completing Sunday's lead group is Jake McGlone of Charlotte (72-69-73--214). The 22-year-old McGlone is alone in third place, four-shots out of the lead. Tereshko, Robbins, and McGlone are each looking to win their first Carolinas Golf Association title.
The final round will begin at 8:00 a.m. from both the 1st and 10th tees at River Run Country Club. The leaders will start at 9:45 a.m. from the 1st tee.
View results for North Carolina Amateur
ABOUT THE
North Carolina Amateur
Open in all amateur male golfers age 13 or older.
Must
be a resident of North Carolina and a
member of a CGA member club with an index 9.9
and
below. An 18-hole sectional qualifier is required for
those that do not meet the exemption criteria.
Format
consists of 72 holes of stroke play with a cut to the
low
60 and ties after 36 holes.
View Complete Tournament Information