Conn, Andersson lead AG Two Man Links at Bandon Dunes

Texas teams have faired well at the Two Man Links Championship over its 19 year history. 2020 is proving no different, as Randall Conn and Johan Andersson of Trophy Club are out to the 36-hole lead at 1-over 144 gross. If those scores look high for a best-ball event consider the tournament's opening round, when sustained gusts of 35 mph at Pacific Dunes had most of the field holding on for dear life on Hole Nos. 10-13, which played straight into the north wind. And if you were able to get your ball onto the putting surface in regulation, standing up straight to hole putts posed another problem altogether. But at least most of us were playing our own clubs -- Randall Conn's didn't arrive on time and he was forced to play with rentals in those conditions. He and Andersson did well to keep things close enough to par (4-over 75 best-ball) to allow their 69 today at Bandon Dunes to vault them into first place overall gross in the 21 team field. On Thursday, the Conn/Andersson duo recorded just a single birdie. (Heck, pars felt like birdies on some holes that played into the wind, and Conn was playing with borrowed clubs.) But Friday, the wind calmed down (at least on the front nine), the tee times were earlier, and it was warm enough for some brave souls to wear shorts. Conn and Andersson took full advantage, recording five birdies and never "topping" each other with birdies on the same hole. Bogeys on No. 5 and 17 (the latter playing with a tricky crosswind and front hole location) caused them to give back two of those red numbers, but they lead both the overall gross (by a single shot over two teams) and the senior division gross (by two shots over multiple past champions Sherman Haggerty and Ben Whipple). Bryan Jeziorski and Kevin McSorley of New Jersey had the low gross round of the day today, a 5-under 67 at Bandon Dunes. The are tied second with David and Kevin Cannon at 2-over 145. NET DIVISION If the gross 67 by Bryan Jeziorski and Kevin McSorley sounds good as the gross round of the day, how about their net 59? That score, coming off an opening round of 1-over 72 at Pacific Dunes, puts them at 12-under net and in command by two shots over two father/son teams -- Randall and Jordan Schwartz (pictured) and Daniel and Sam Licursi. The Schwartz team hail from Northern California; the Licursi duo is from Thousand Oaks, in Southern California. There is plenty of golf left - tomorrow's third round is at the resort's newest course, Sheep Ranch, which opened June 1. Course co-designer Ben Crenshaw is on property this week, by the way. He played behind us this afternoon on The 13 hole par-3 course Bandon Preserve, which he also designed (along with Bandon Trails -- this writer's favorite). FATHER SON DIVISION Dave and Kevin Cannon (2-over 145) lead the gross father/son division by a single shot over Daniel and Sam Licursi. Randall and Jordan Schwartz are tied for the net lead with the Licursi duo after an 11-under 61 today vaulted them up to 10-under net after 36-holes. WE'RE PLAYING THE 19TH ANNUAL - BUT WE ALMOST DIDN'T The Two Man Links Championship tournament almost missed its 19th playing due to COVID-19. Originally scheduled for late April, we cancelled the event -- originally slated for 40 teams with half of them in the father/son division -- in it's entirety as the resort shut down from mid-April to mid-May. When a window of opportunity opened for June, many of the teams who play every year opted to go, and we had a tournament again. Many drove from the San Francisco Bay Area and as far as San Diego. But some decided to fly, and while most had no incidents many experienced travel delays and flight changes that made the journey here a circuitous (and time consuming) one. A shout out to the entire staff at Bandon Dunes and to all of the players who are here with us this week -- playing golf at Bandon Dunes is allowing us all to clear our heads for the week and spend some quality father/son and friendship time together.