The opening day of the 114th B.C. Amateur Golf Championship saw the golfers dominate Pheasant Glen Golf Resort.
In Wednesday’s second round, the course struck back.
In all, 58 golfers finished at or below par despite occasional rain showers in a swaggering stroll of the course Tuesday. But with tees pushed back, pins tucked in corners and a bright sun drying the greens Wednesday, both individual scores and the 36-hole cut line jumped.
And B.C. golf icon Doug Roxburgh bowed out of his 50 B.C. Am, missing the cut by a single stroke for the second straight year.
“I wanted to make the cut and play all four rounds,” Roxburgh told British Columbia Golf. “That was my goal. I didn’t make it.”
When the carnage was over, three players shared the midway lead at 5-under-par 139 — Victoria’s Nolan Thoroughgood, Nanaimo’s Zach Anderson and Burnaby’s Andrew Hennings.
First-round co-leaders Will Deck of Kelowna and Roy Kang of North Vancouver shot 77 and 76, respectively. Brian De Biasio, who was just two strokes off the lead at 68 on Tuesday, limped home with an 80 Wednesday and sat in a tie for 51st place.
The projected cut line at the start of the round was at 3-over-par 147 for 36 holes. By the time the final scorecard was turned in, the cut had leaped to 151.
Only 10 golfers broke par on the day, with Jacob Vanderpas of Vancouver leading the way at minus-3.
Parksville teen Aidan Goodfellow watches his tee shot at the par-3 eighth hole during the third round of the B.C. Amateur Golf Championship at Pheasant Glen Golf Resort in Qualicum Beach Thursday. — Image credit: J.R. Rardon/PQB NEWS
One player who didn’t seem fazed by the course set-up was Parksville teen Aidan Goodfellow, who shot an even-par 72 that left him in a group tied for eighth place at 2-under.
Greggory Palmer of Port Alberni, who trains at Pheasant Glen, continued to have a good week after getting into the championship through Sunday’s 18-hole supplemental qualifying tournament. Palmer finished 1-over Wednesday and was even through two rounds.
Other local players who survived the cut include Matt Haddad of Qualicum Beach (146), Stephen Watson of Nanoose Bay (148), Spencer Rhodes of Port Alberni and Pheasant Glen (149) and Kyler Bourgeault of Qualicum Beach (149).
Round 3 began Thursday at 7:30 a.m., and golfers will return for the final round Friday morning. Spectators are welcome throughout the tourney.
For updated results, click here.
—With files from British Columbia Golf