Cliff fires second-round 64 for Cal State Fair lead over Bling

After 36 holes, a Fresno State player is on the top of the California State Fair leaderboard. Michael Cliff, a Fresno, Calif., native surged into the lead with an 8-under 64 in the second round at the Alister MacKenzie course at Haggin Oaks in Sacramento, Calif. Nobody else could match it, and that left Cliff with the advantage entering the final round.

After opening with 67, Cliff started the day two shots off the pace. You might say that Cliff’s charge began on No. 17 in the first round, however. He made back-to-back eagles at Nos. 17 and 18 to end his first-round effort, then picked right up where he had left off with an eagle on the first hole on Sunday.

Cliff got on another streak on the back nine on Sunday, making six birdies – including three in a row from Nos. 16-18 – to close in 31 for his 64.

At 13 under, Cliff has so far managed to hold off defending champion Devon Bling, a junior at UCLA, by three shots. Bling posted rounds of 68-66 and is currently 10 under.

Hunter Epson and Berk Harvey are tied for third at 8 under. Harvey had the next-best round on Sunday, a 7-under 65.

As for first-round leaders Carson Barry and Kyosuke Hara, teammates at Oregon State, each backed up an opening 65 with a second-round 74 to fall to 5 under and a tie for 12th.