Cover's Southern Amateur cushion grows with solid play
Patrick Cover (UNCW photo)
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (July 20, 2018) – The second round of the Southern Amateur was downright explosive for
Patrick Cover. The third round was just consistent. The former got him a lead, but the latter allowed him to keep it.
Cover, a Cornelius, N.C., fresh off the North Carolina-Wilmington roster, extended his lead from three to five shots Friday at the Club at Olde Stone. He had a 2-under 70 that moved him to 14 under for the tournament. It was a far cry from Thursday’s round of 63 (which included a back-nine 28), but it proved to be just what Cover needed. His third round included five birdies and nines of 36-34. Cover has carded a total of 18 birdies over the 54 holes played so far.
Cover was among the 76 players to make the 36-hole cut and come back for much tougher conditions on day three. High winds throughout the day helped inflate the scoring average. Only five players broke 70.
Three players are tied for second at 9 under, including
S.M. Lee of Buford, Ga.,
Eric Ansett of Spokane, Wash., and
Taylor Bibbs of San Diego, Calif. Lee climbed up the leaderboard with a 3-under 69 which included five birdies. Ansett carded a 1-under 71. After a shaky start, Bibbs fired a 2-under 34 on the back nine to get in the clubhouse with a 1-over par 73 and remain in a tie for second place. Lee and Ansett will join Cover in the final group on Sunday.
Rhett Rasmussen, a rising junior at BYU who played in the U.S. Open last month (he missed the cut), had a 4-under 68 in what amounted to the best round of the day on Saturday. It could have been even better considering he bogeyed his final two holes. Rasmussen got on a run mid-round, making four consecutive birdies from Nos. 6-9 then adding two more at Nos. 11 and 12.
Rasmussen is tied for fifth at 8 under with
Brandon Smith,
Wilson Furr and
Luke Long.
John Augenstein, last week’s Players Amateur winner, remains within striking difference if he catches fire on Sunday. Augenstein is 7 under for 54 holes.
ABOUT THE
Southern Amateur
The Southern Amateur, which dates back to 1902, is
one of two competitions held by the Southern Golf
Association (the other is the Southern Junior). This
is a 72-hole stroke play championship with a cut
made after 36 holes. Entries are open to any male
amateur golfer who has a current USGA Handicap
Index® not exceeding 3.4 under the USGA Handicap
System. Non-exempt players must pre-qualify at
one of the qualifying sites held across the southern
U.S. in the two months leading up to the
championship.
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