Kevin Velo, Sam Yamaguci, and Craig Ronne (Left to Right)
(photo credit to SJSU Athletics, Davis Enterprise, and Golf Today Northwest)

Related: Brad Reeves Shoots 69, Leads Bayonet Black Horse Amateur

The wind kicked up a bit today at the Bayonet and Black Horse Amateur, making the already very challenging golf course a little bit tougher this afternoon.

It wouldn’t seem to faze Kevin Velo much though, offering, “Golf was easy today, I was landing a lot of shots close and making the putts. I just played confidently all day.”

Velo, 19, actually finished 54-holes of last year’s event tied for the lead, losing in a three-hole aggregate score playoff to Robbie Salomon, who recently turned professional. Velo also managed to secure himself a trip to the 2016 U.S. Amateur at Oakland Hills by way of Bayonet, so he is surely confident at the venue.

The San Jose State golfer who hails from Danville, California has not been pleased with his play leading up to the event.

“You know, I haven’t been playing well recently, both in collegiate events and during the summer so far, so it feels really good to be playing well this week.”

Velo is tied for the top spot with fellow Californian, Sam Yamauchi, 18, who plays collegiately at CSU Fullerton, and Craig Ronne, a high school senior who won the Oregon 4A State Championship this May. The all-teen trio is currently at 2-under-par for the tournament and will be teeing off together in the final grouping of the now forty-one man field.

Brad Reeves, who opened the tournament with a 69 to take the first-round lead, started with a birdie but then fell back, putting three 6's on the card and shooting a 77 that dropped him to eleventh place, four shots behind the leaders.