Andy Schonbaum backed up an opening round 68 with a second round 69 to build a two-shot lead in the Devil’s Elbow Invitational.
Over the course of the round, Schonbaum sprinkled in four birdies. He carded his first one on the fourth hole. Nine pars and that one birdie highlighted the opening ten holes. Then Schonbaum bounced back from a bogey on the eleventh hole with birdies on holes No. 14, 17, and 18 to reclaim the lead with one round remaining.
Matt Parziale, Connor Doyal, and Ryan Terry sit two shots behind at 5-under par. Terry, the co-leader with Schonbaum after the first round, shot a 71 on Friday. Doyal, a new mid-amateur, shot a 70.
"It's a lot more laid back than playing with the college kids," Doyal said following his first round.
Parziale, last year’s runner-up, shot the round of the tournament so far. He didn’t drop a shot en route to an impressive 67.
Nine shots separate the top ten. The trio in second place at 5-under par is three shots clear of the next closest duo - Derek Meinhart and Ricky Stimets. Meinhart shot 72-70 and Stimets shot a pair of 71s.
Schonbaum is 18 holes away from locking up a spot in the PGA Tour’s Corales Puntacana Championship next April. It will certainly add to the drama coming down the stretch of the Devil’s Elbow.
