Around the Green

Boles Holds One-Stroke Lead After Two Rounds at Texas Cup Invitational

McKinney, Texas – Brian Boles fought through an steady drizzle and an hour lightning delay on Tuesday to shoot 3-over 74 and keep his lead atop the Texas Cup Invitational leaderboard at Stonebridge Ranch Country Club’s Dye Course.

The Lubbock native has posted rounds of 69-74 to get to 143 overall and one stroke ahead of the field.

“I was hitting the ball well again today,” said Boles, “Just like yesterday, I was striking the ball and making putts.”

Play was suspended at 11:40 am during the second round due to lightning in the area. Boles’ group was on the par-3 12^th hole when the suspension occurred, but the Texas Tech University commit stayed focused.

“I knew it was going to be wet and I would have to grind, but I was going to stick to my game plan after the delay,” said Boles.

Play resumed at 12:40 pm, exactly one hour after the horn was blown. Boles made his par putt on the 12^th green, but dropped shots with bogey on the 13^th, 15^th and 17^th. He made a birdie on the 415-yard 18^th hole, but struggled with a bogey on No. 1 and a double-bogey on No. 2 after he sailed over the green on the 337-yard hole.

“I told my caddie, that I was going to get those back and that this wasn’t over,” said Boles on the No. 3 tee.

He bounced back with back-to-back birdies on No. 3 and No. 4 and made five straight pars coming home to shoot 3-over 74.

Trailing Boles for the second straight day is Heath’s Matthew Watkins, who tied the low round of the day with a 2-over 73. The 2019 LJT Winter Classic Boys 15-18 Division Champion made four birdies in his second round, including the par-3 17^th, which got him to 2-over overall.

Fort Worth’s Brandon Massey, who won this event in 2017 at his home club of Ridglea Country Club, tied Watkins for the low round of the day by making 16 pars and two bogeys en route to his 73. Tied with Massey for third is Lubbock’s Logan Vargas and Temple’s Dallas Hankamer at 6-over 148 overall.

Vargas has played consistently over two days, posting consecutive 74s in the first two rounds. Hankamer posted rounds of 73-75 and is five strokes behind the leader.

Logan Hamak of Sartell, Minn. sits alone in sixth place heading into the final round, while League City’s Niko Nebout, Carrollton’s Greg Seo and Keller’s Jase Summy are tied for seventh at 8-over 150.

Granbury’s Ty Holbrook rounds out the top ten in the field at 9-over 151, while three are tied for 11^th at 152 overall and three are tied for 14^th at 153 overall.

Stonebridge Ranch Country Club is hosting the Texas Cup Invitational for the first time in the tournament’s 12-year history. The Dye Course was designed by Pete Dye and opened in 1988. The course is stretched out to 6,893 yards for the tournament.

The final round of the Texas Cup Invitational is set to start at 8:30 am on Wednesday off the No. 1 and 10 tees. Players were repaired according to scores from the first two rounds. To see all the pairings for the final round, click here.

To see all the scores from the first two rounds of the Texas Cup Invitational, click here. For more information about the tournament, click here.