Around the Green

Sewell Retains Lead After Second Round of South Amateur presented by Impact Precision Golf

Fair Oaks Ranch – Chad Sewell fired a second round 2-under-par 70 on Saturday to maintain a slim lead after moving day at the South Amateur presented by Impact Precision Golf. Sewell holds a one stroke lead over a very tight leaderboard. The 54-hole event looks to conclude on Sunday on the Live Oak course at Fair Oaks Ranch Golf & Country Club.
 
Sewell, of Conroe, once again started quickly with four birdies in his first nine holes to help him turn at 3-under. However, he stumbled a little down the stretch with two bogeys in his final four holes. He played a strong enough round to hold off a charging field on moving day, though.
 
Sewell leads John Keefer and Jacob Davis each by one stroke. Keefer, of San Antonio, cut Sewell’s overnight lead in half after carding a 3-under-par 69. After a bogey-free 66 on Friday, Keefer carded only one bogey on Saturday on his way to his 69. The lone bogey came on his first hole of the day, the par-4 10th. He recovered to rattle off four birdies from there and pick up a stroke on Sewell.
 
Davis, of Cibolo, backed up his strong opening-round 67 with a 68 on Saturday. Davis only recorded two bogeys on his way to his 4-under-par 68. That moved him up to share a tie for second at 9-under-par, 135 overall. Keefer and Davis are paired together with Sewell and will start the final round at 9:21. 
 
Calvin Ross tied for the low round of the day with a 66 to help him surge up the leaderboard into fourth place at 137 overall heading into Sunday’s final round. Jack Randle rounds out the top five at 138 overall, just four strokes off the lead.
 
Players had to navigate a different set of playing conditions on Saturday after thunderstorms rolled through Fair Oaks Ranch overnight. Heavy rain soaked the course making it softer than Friday’s first round. The overnight rain softened the greens, which rewarded strong wedge play and putting. Although the fairways had less run to them, players were still able to attack the Live Oak course. Many players saw rewards to their aggressiveness, with 15 players scoring in red numbers.
 
Sunday’s final round looks to be action packed with six players within five strokes of the leader. And with No. 18 scoring so favorably all weekend, the tournament could very well come down to the last putt on Sunday.
 
The final round of the South Amateur presented by Impact Precision Golf starts off Sunday morning at 8:00 am. The leaders will tee off last from Hole 1 at 9:21 am. Click here for more information, pairings, and the full leaderboard.