Tambellini takes lead at Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic
By Kin Lo, PGA TOUR Staff
CLARKSBURG, Ontario -- Roger Tambellini posted a 66 on Friday at The Georgian Bay Club to get to 13 under and take sole possession of the 36-hole lead at the Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic. Five players, including Kyle Reifers, Garth Mulroy, David Branshaw, Jason Enloe, and Paul Claxton, are three shots back at 10-under par.
Tambellini, a native of San Luis Obispo, Calif., has found a rhythm to his game that is evident by his textbook performance so far this week. The former University of Southern California All-American has missed only three fairways and four greens and has taken only 29 putts in each of the first two rounds.
"I didn't really think about much out there today," he commented. "That's what happens when you play well -- you just kind of hit it around and it goes in."
"The mind is off," he said about his stretch of seven birdies in 10 holes today. "That's really what I've been working on, almost having a blank mind out there. I'm thinking about the target and that's it. I'm focusing more about swing feels than swing thoughts."
Tambellini has held the 36-hole lead only one other time in his career at the 2003 Albertsons Boise Open, the first of his two career victories on the Nationwide Tour. The other came at the 2005 Price Cutter Charity Championship. He has also played two full seasons on the PGA TOUR (2004 and 2006).
After posting a course-record 11-under-par 61 on Thursday, Reifers had a roller-coaster round and gave up a stroke on Friday at The Georgian Bay Club. Starting on the back nine, he birdied four of the first five holes to make the turn at 15 under. But his tee shot on the first hole (his 10th) found the lip of the right fairway bunker and it took three shots to advance the ball back into the fairway. He went on to make triple bogey, then bogeyed Nos. 2 and 3 to finish the day with a 1-over 72.
"The wind picked up and started to swirl around a bit which made it a little tougher on the second nine," he said. "I hit some good shots and didn't really get rewarded, and hit a couple of bad clubs that I shouldn't have -- but all-in-all a good two days and I'm looking forward to the weekend."
The professional field was cut to 67 players at 3-under par or better.
The low six pro-celebrity teams that will compete on the weekend are Derek Lamely and Catriona Lemay Doan, Ryan Armour and Cassie Campbell, Derek Gillespie and Wayne Gretzky, Todd Fischer and Darren Pang, Jason Enloe and Brian Stemmle, and Danny Wax and Ty Gretzky.
The first two rounds alternated between The Georgian Bay Club (7,139 yards / par 71) and Raven Golf Club at Lora Bay (7,105 yards / par 72). The final two rounds will be played at Georgian Bay.
The weather on Friday was mostly sunny and warm with temperatures in the low 80s. There were increasing clouds and southerly winds at 6-12 mph in the afternoon. Rain and thunderstorms are probable for Saturday morning with decreasing cloud cover in the afternoon.
The third round begins at 8:20 a.m. with groups of three going off the first and 10th tees. Threesomes will be comprised of either three professionals or two professionals and a celebrity or amateur.
Scoring averages: The Georgian Bay Club, first round -0.65, second round -0.29; Raven Golf Club, first round -1.01, second round -0.89.
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