Jared du Toit takes outright lead after 36-holes at GolfBC Championship

Kelowna – SPORTS — Playing in his second season on the Mackenzie Tour- PGA Tour Canada, Jared du Toit fired a second-round 5-under 66 to grab the outright lead at the GolfBC Championship. Five players remain two back heading into the weekend.

In his back nine, du Toit made three consecutive birdies on Nos. 4-6, followed by a bogey on the seventh hole. He ended his round on a high-note, with an up-and-down birdie from the bunker on the par-5 ninth hole.

“Definitely happy to birdie the last there,” said du Toit. “It’s finally coming together. You hear it all the time, but if I just stick to it, I like my chances. I’m not surprised at all that I’m up there [on the leaderboard]. Hopefully, in two more days, I can tell you the same.”

The Calgary native set the tournament record last year at this event with a 10-under 61 in the third round. Du Toit rose to prominence in 2016, when he played in the RBC Canadian Open as a 21-year-old amateur. He played in the final group with Brandt Snedeker and went on to finish in a tie-for-ninth. He was the low amateur and low Canadian at the PGA TOUR event.

After picking up the 18-hole co-lead Thursday at the GolfBC Championship, Mark Anguiano and Zach Wright are two back of du Toit with three others, at 9-under 133. They both followed up their 9-under 62s in the opening round with second-round, even-par 71s.

Wright carded three birdies and three bogeys in his up-and-down round. Reflecting on his day, the 24-year-old was most disappointed with his putting.

“I couldn’t get anything going,” said Wright. “On the front nine, I didn’t make that many putts. I couldn’t get my putter going at all. I kept grinding, and nothing kept going in, so I just fell apart at the end and made bogeys.”

Wright held the 36-hole lead by two shots last week at the Bayview Place DCBank Open but went on to tie for sixth after a third-round 73. The Louisiana State University alum entered this week No. 3 on the Order of Merit.

Anguiano of Bellflower, Calif., carded four birdies and four bogeys during his second-round play. His back nine included three consecutive bogeys, on Nos. 10-12, before closing with a birdie on the 17^th hole. Playing in the afternoon wave, the 25-year-old faced heavier rain and wind compared to the players who teed off in the morning, but the California State University-Fullerton alum chose to focus on the positives.

“It was pretty up and down today,” said Anguiano. “I had a stretch in the beginning of the back nine that really stung, but I was really happy with the way I bounced back mentally. Even though I made only one birdie coming in, I gave myself a lot of looks. I’m still happy with where I am.”

Among the five players tied for second at 9-under, Jeremy Paul from Heidelberg, Germany, tied for the low round of the day, with Canadian Taylor Pendrith, carding an 8-under 63. Starting the day eight shots back, the University of Colorado product jumped 68 spots to place himself back in contention heading into the weekend.

played collegiate golf at Arizona State University with PGA TOUR player Jon Rahm?

“This is a course where you have to stay patient and wait for your chances, but you still have to make sure you make enough birdies because people are going to go low. I expect the winning score to be between 15- and 20-under.”  – Jeremy Paul

“I started to struggle when I started making those bogeys. I was just a little indecisive. I didn’t hit any bad shots. Just little things here and there, but it’s OK. It happens to everyone.” – Mark Anguiano

“It’s similar topography as where I live in California, so I feel comfortable here. I play at the same elevation back home. I controlled my golf ball very well. The pins were tough, and I just missed in the right spots and took advantage of my opportunities.” – Corey Pereira

“I didn’t get anything going. The pins on the back nine were a little more tough, and I couldn’t make any putts on the front nine. [I] couldn’t get my putter going at all. I just fell apart at the end and made bogeys, but I have a good start to the weekend, so I’m not complaining. – Zach Wright

“As soon as I hit it, it was tracking perfectly, and I saw it bounce. I didn’t see it go in. There was a spotter on the back of the green who saw it go in, but she was just stone-faced. She didn’t cheer or anything, so my group had no idea until I looked in the hole.” – Joseph Harrison on his hole-in-one on the par-3 third hole.

The GolfBC Championship is the final event of the BC Golf Swing, which consists of three tournament locations in the province of British Columbia. In its inaugural year in 2016, Dan McCarthy won this tournament by seven shots, with a 25-under total. Robby Shelton won the following year in wire-to-wire fashion, at 19-under.

Mostly sunny in the morning, with scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. High of 22 Celsius, with wind at 11km/h.