HOUSTON, TX (April 29, 2016) - Steve Marland and Mike Sullivan, both of Houston, tamed the swirling 25-30 mph swirling South Texas winds to surgically put together a seven birdie, no bogey round of 64 and take the 36-hole lead at the 2016 Champions Invitational Cup.

Marland/Sullivan’s 36-hole total of 131, 11 under par, earns them a two stroke lead over fellow Houstonians John Hunter and Brad Segreto. Hunter/Segreto added a four under par 67 in round two to their five under par 66 in round one for a 36-hole total of 133, nine under par.

A logjam persists at seven under par 135 with six teams tied. These six teams consist of players from California, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, Illinois and Japan.

Trey Wilkinson and Eric Otness, both of Houston, Texas, the first round leaders, carded a one over par 72 and now reside at 136, five shots off the lead going into round three at the difficult 7,003 yard, par 71 Champions Golf Club Jackrabbit Course.

56 two man teams, from 18 states and Japan are competing in the 2016 event. The field is loaded with top amateur golfing talent that included over 200 appearances by the competitors in various USGA national championships. Average handicaps of the 112 players is +2.1 strokes per round. Average team score for day one was 70.75, just slightly under par.

This 49th annual event is being held Champions Jackrabbit Course, which has hosted multiple USGA, Sectional and Texas events over the years. Originally constructed in 1964 by George Fazio and completely renovated by Tom Fazio in 2002. The Jack Rabbit course has been consistently rated as one of the top courses in Houston and ranked among the best in Texas. The 7,003-yard, par 71 layout offers a true test of golf, demanding a variety of shots and ultimate precision.

Round Three is scheduled for Saturday, and the tournament is scheduled to complete on Sunday afternoon.

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