Eichhorn leapfrogs Longbella for top spot at Wisconsin Am
Hunter Eichhorn (USGA photo)
WEST ALLIS, Wis. (July 24, 2018) – Even though Thomas Longbella led by two shots halfway through the second round of the Wisconsin Amateur, he wasn’t the player at the top of the leaderboard by the time the day ended. That honor belonged to Hunter Eichhorn of Carney, Mich.
Longbella, of Chippewa Falls, Wis., only had one birdie Tuesday at Minocqua Country Club. That came at the ninth hole. The rest of the day was what was so interesting.
Longbella, who had a share of the lead after Monday’s first round, began with an eagle at the par-5 first hole. He added a bogey at the sixth. Once he made the turn, Longbella got another eagle at the par-5 12th. He gave those shots back with a triple bogey at No. 16, however, and the other two bogeys on his back nine bumped him to 1-over 73. After an opening 66, however, Longbella is still at 5 under for the tournament and only two shots off the lead.
As for Eichhorn, there was also an eagle at No. 12 on Tuesday. There were three birdies on the front to go with it, plus a bogey at No. 10 which resulted in a 68.
Eichorn was a freshman on the Marquette roster this past year who won the individual title at the Big East Championship in the spring.
Three players are tied for third at 4 under including Brock Hinak, Joe Weber and Harrison Ott.
Johnny Decker, who shared the first-round lead with Longbella, dove from an opening 66 to a second-round 76 and is now tied for ninth, five shots off the lead.
ABOUT THE Wisconsin State Amateur
This event has been conducted annually since 1901.
The format, originally match play, was changed to a
72-hole stroke-play event in 1971. The State
Amateur, contested over four consecutive days, is
annually conducted on one of Wisconsin’s finest
courses and continues to be recognized as the
premier amateur tournament held in Wisconsin. A
three-man team competition, the Yule Cup, where
players representing the same club compete for the
Cup, is also held. To be eligible, players must have a
WSGA Handicap Index of 9.4 or less.
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