Amateurs Peterson, Harris lead at Nationwide event
23 Jul 2011
by Golfweek
see also: John Peterson Rankings
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (July 23, 2011) --A pair of college stars will try to make Nationwide Tour history Sunday in Columbus, Ohio.
NCAA champion John Peterson holds a one-shot lead at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational over recent Georgia graduate Harris English.
Peterson, who just graduated from LSU, won the NCAA Championship at Karsten Creek in June and the Jones Cup, a premier amateur event, in February. Both players have remained amateur to try to make the U.S. Walker Cup team.
Peterson has led since Round 1, shooting an opening 64 at Ohio State’s Scarlet course. He fired a steady 3-under 68 Saturday, making five birdies and two bogeys. After shooting 1-under 35 on the front nine, Peterson made a bogey at the par-5 12th, but he birdied three of his final five holes, including the 18th.
English, who won last week’s Southern Amateur, also shot 68 Saturday – a bogey-free round that included three front-nine birdies.
Joining English and Peterson in the top 10 is Oklahoma State’s Peter Uihlein, who sits T-9.
Division I All-Americans are awarded with an exemption into the event, which explains the strong amateur contingent.
Daniel Summerhays won the Columbus Nationwide Tour stop as an amateur in 2007. Recent Georgia grad Russell Henley, who is not in the field, won the Nationwide Tour’s Athens Stadion Classic as an amateur earlier this year.