Wheeler leads gross division at halfway point of World Amateur

There’s more than enough golf to go around in Myrtle Beach. At this week’s PlayGolfMyrtleBeach.com World Amateur, more than 3,000 golfers are spread out around 60 courses, rotating from place to place for four days and 72 holes of golf.

Despite the golf immersion, the object is still to secure one more round.

At the conclusion of Thursday’s fourth round, all flight winners and ties will advance to the Flight Winner’s Playoff at Barefoot Resort’s Dye Course, where a World Champion will be crowned. The World Am is made up of 67 flights, everything from gross to “just for fun.”

Halfway through the competition, the gross division, at least, is heating up. First-round leader Kevin Wheeler, who opened with a heroic 3-under 69 on the Pete Dye-designed Prestwick Country Club on Monday, slid to a 74 on Tuesday at River’s Edge Golf Club. Wheeler’s three-shot lead shrank to one as Eric King made up ground with a second consecutive 72. Wheeler is 1 under while King is at even par.

AmateurGolf.com is represented this week by Kyle Rector, who also closed in on Wheeler at the top of the gross leaderboard on Tuesday.

At River’s Edge, which had a decided Kiawah feel, SCGA stalwart Rector managed to post 73 despite a triple bogey on his card.

Behind Rector, Christopher Reina is another shot back at 2 over. Stires posted a second-round 72 that tied King for the low round of the day.