Spirit of America: Three tied for lead
DECATUR, Alabama (July 3, 2010) -- Chase Parker and Robbie Van Riper have caught up with 36 hole leader Jace Long of University of Missouri, who posted 69-64 in the first two rounds (for a 6 shot lead) but had trouble keeping up with that pace on Saturday.
After three straight bogeys and a double at the fourth, Long righted the ship with back-to-back birdies at No's. 6 and 7, then went 1-over the rest of the round to shoot 75.
Meanwhile, Parker posted a bogey free 69, while Van Riper bogeyed his first two holes, but came back with five birdies the rest of the way for a 3-under 68 at the 7005 yard, par-71 Burningtree Country Club.
Getting off to a good start on Sunday will make all the difference to the final outcome -- the 476-yard second hole and the 435-yard fourth hole played as the two hardest holes among the field.
ABOUT THE Spirit of America
The Spirit of America Golf Classic is Burningtree
Country Club's long-running, fundraising
tournament
held annually in conjunction with
Decatur’s Spirit of America Festival, which itself is
one
of the largest, free Fourth of July festivals in the
south. Established in 1967, this unique "college
team
and
individual" format event has been
home to collegiate players and top amateur
players
from across the nation. The format is 72-holes of
stroke play, with a 54-hole
collegiate team division. The "Spirit"
tournament boasts many top graduates, like 1995
Champion-turned-PGA tour player Heath Slocum,
and
1989 Junior Champion-turned-PGA tour player
Stewart
Cink.
Starting in 2020 the golf tournament will be a coed
event. The plan is to have 30 two-woman teams and
30 two-
man teams. The women’s teams will be invited and
not have to pay an entry fee.
View Complete Tournament Information