William Rainey ahead by two at Rice Planters

MT. PLEASANT, S.C. — William Rainey, one of four first-round leaders at seven-under 65, reached the halfway point of the Rice Planters Amateur with a two-shot lead thanks to a second-round 66 at Snee Farm Country Club. Rainey, a junior at the College of Charleston, birdied his first three holes on Thursday to boost his eventual 66. He leads first-round co-leader Julian Keur and Austin Langdale by two strokes. Keur started slow, going one-over through seven holes but found a groove following three straight birdies from holes 8 to 10. Langdale, a junior at Clemson, used five back-nine birdies to shoot 65 and join Keur at 11-under. The lowest round of the day went to David Mackey, a future freshman at the University of Georgia who made no bogeys on Thursday to jump into a tie for fourth with three other players at nine-under. After making five birdies on the front nine, he made two more on the back before eagling the par-5 16th hole to shoot 63. Also tied for fourth at 135 are Bryson Nimmer, Jake McBride, and Cameron MacKay. Defending champion Rigel Fernandes, an Indian golfer from the University of South Florida, is playing this week at the Northeast Amateur, where he posted rounds of 69-68 and is tied for 13th place through two rounds.