Hanzel, the #1 ranked player in the AmateurGolf.com Senior Rankings, is going for his sixth big amateur win of the year. His previous wins include the National Senior Hall of Fame, the Hesler, the Coleman Senior, the Florida Azalea Senior, and the Golfweek POY Classic.
Related: Hanzel Leads Canadian Senior, Simson Wins Super-Senior
“I could have gone really low on the front nine today; I hit it close to a few pins and made a couple of short putts for birdie to get a couple under early,” Hanzel told Golf Canada. “The back was pretty uneventful; I hit it decent. Game plan for tomorrow is to keep doing the same – only hit a couple drivers. You don’t need to hit drivers much here. I went with a lot of rescues and 3-woods and plan on doing the same again.”
Tied for third are Buzz Fly (Memphis, TN) and Paul Simson (Raleigh, NC) at four-over 214. Simson, the recent U.S. Senior Amateur runner-up, won the Super Senior Championship which concluded in round two and has an outside shot at doubling up with the Senior Championship on Thursday.
The low Canadians are Doug Roxburgh (Vancouver, BC) and Brian Laubman (Edmonton, AB), who are tied for fifth with American Jack Hall (Savannah, GA) at five-over 215.
The winner of this year’s championship will earn an exemption into the 2018 U.S. Men’s Senior Amateur Championship at Eugene Country Club in Eugene, Ore., from August 25th to 30th.