Action from Pinetree Country Club
(GSGA Photo)
KENNESAW, GA (September 6, 2018) - 2016 champion Chris Hall posted a steady even-par 72 Thursday to remain 2-under and take over the lead on day two of the Georgia Senior Amateur at Pinetree Country Club.
Hall began the day two shots back but as first round leader Alan Thielemann gave ground the Marietta, GA resident hung tough carding three birdies and three bogeys to edge in front by a shot. Winner of the Geranium Senior Invitational and with two other AGC Senior Ranking top-10 finishes to his credit this season, Hall overcame a rocky start that saw him 2-over through the first eight holes.
However, as slowly as Hall started he turned it around just as swiftly. Hall rolled in his first birdie of the day on No. 9 and another on the 10th to return to even-par for the day and the tournament.
A bogey on the 13th did follow but so did a birdie on the 16th, his final of the day and the stroke that has provided the difference through 36-holes.
Opening day leader Alan Thielemann fell back to 1-under and second place with a 3-over 75 that included four birdies but also five bogeys and a double.
AGC sixth-ranked senior Doug Hanzel made a charge up the leaderboard moving from six shots back to just two thanks to a 2-under 70 in the second round that left him level-par for the tournament. Hanzel turned in the round of the day with two birdies and no bogeys.
Jeff Knox, Wright Waddell and Donny Phillips are tied for fourth at 1-over while defending champion Bob Royak will begin the final round 2-over and four shots off the pace in seventh.
ROUND ONE RECAP
With a 4-under 68 Alan Thielemann has opened up a two shot lead following day one of the Georgia Senior Amateur at Pinetree Country Club.
From Woodstock, GA, Thielemann birdied the first two holes to fall back to even-par with bogeys on the 6th and 7th holes. Unfazed by the dropped shots Thielemann rebounded with birdies on the 8th and 9th holes to return to red figures before the turn.
Following a par on the 10th, Thielemann reached 4-under with an eagle on the par-5 11th only to retreat backwards a bit with two more bogeys on the 12th and 15th holes. However, similar to earlier in the round Thielemann was able to bounce back jarring birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 to close in a flurry and close the day 4-under.
2016 champion Chris Hall sits in second after a 2-under 70 while Al Small, Mel Mendenhall and Wright Waddell are sharing third at 1-under.
Defending champion Bob Royak is 2-over in a tie for 10th and he will begin the second round six shots off the pace. Joining Royak is Doug Hanzel, the 6th ranked player in the AGC Senior Rankings.
ABOUT THE
Georgia Senior
Entries: Open to male amateur golfers age
55 or
older as of the first day of the
tournament.
Field: 144 players with the lowest USGA
Handicap
indexes
Format: 54 holes of stroke play; field cut
to the
low 70 and ties after 36 holes
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