Trans-Miss Amateur: Three Co-Leaders at the Halfway Point

COLUMBUS, OH (July 11, 2018) – Jake Marriott used his own special brand of local knowledge Tuesday to fire a second round 65 and take a share of the 36-hole lead at the 115th Trans-Mississippi Championship.

Marriott finished his 36 holes with a 9-under par total of 135, tied with Matt Hutchins with both golfers from Naples, Florida. Both carded matching rounds of 70-65. Mid-Amateur Justin Tereshko from Lexington, Kentucky was also tied for the lead at 66-69-135.

Chip Thomas of Knoxville, Tennessee was alone in fourth with back-to-back rounds of 68 for an 8-under total of 136. LSU Golfer Trey Winstead used a hole-in-one Wednesday on the par-3 16th to finish tied for fifth along with Pierceson Coody, the grandson of 1971 Masters champion Charles Coody, with both golfers at 137.

While Marriott had never played Brookside Golf & Country Club, site of this week’s event and one of the home courses of Jack Nicklaus who grew up in the area, he did have a connection to Brookside general manager Matt Ruehling. The current Brookside GM was the general manager at the course in Illinois where Marriott learned to play, and is hosting his longtime friend this week at his house, giving him plenty of Brookside course information.

Currently the #TransMiss18 clubhouse leader in Rd 2 at 9-under 135, 2017 @AugustaJags graduate Jake Marriott chats about his bogey-free 65 on Wednesday and the help he received from longtime friend & Brookside G&CC GM Matt Ruehling, who is hosting Jake this week. pic.twitter.com/Brshv05KJT

— Trans-Miss Golf (@TransMissGolf) July 11, 2018

“It’s a cool course,” Marriott said. “I can tell there’s a big advantage to getting the ball into the fairway. He (Matt) is helping me with the course, but I feel my game is good and getting better.”

Starting on the 10th hole Wednesday after a Tuesday rain delay caused a lengthy round two delay, Marriott had three birdies on the back nine and four on the front with no bogeys. He highlighted his round with a 25-foot birdie putt on the 12 hole, his first birdie of the day and a 30-foot birdie bomb on No. 1.

“Fairways and greens are key here,” Marriott said.

He recently graduated from Augusta State in Augusta, Georgia and while he has earned some conditional status on the PGA Tour Canada, he has remained an amateur until he attempts to go to Web.com qualifying school later this fall.

“There is no better place to prepare for Q-School and get ready to turn pro than playing in big time amateur event like this. I’ve played in the Trans-Miss before, but I did so bad, I don’t remember how bad I did. My game is a lot better now.”

Winstead used a 9-iron to ace the 134-yard uphill par three 16th hole to remain in the thick of the battle.

Since the Texas Golf Association took over leadership of the Trans-Miss Golf Association five years ago, not many people have won both the Texas State Amateur and the Trans-Miss. But Zander Lozano is looking to change that.

The 2017 Texas Amateur winner who played college golf at Texas-San Antonio fired a second round 71 to finish tied for 7th with Andy Spencer from Prairie Village, Kansas.

“I felt good today. My drives were in the fairway, the iron shots were on the green and the putts were in the hole,” he said.

Lozano had two birdies on the front nine and one on the back before back to back bogeys on holes 15 and 16 derailed his early momentum.

The cut fell at even-par 144, with 67 players advancing to the final two rounds.