Billy Kennerly, Vincent Whaley, Eric Steger tied for the lead at Lincoln Land Championship presented by LRS

SECOND-ROUND LEADERBOARD

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Billy Kennerly, Vincent Whaley and Eric Steger are each knotted at 6-under 136 at the halfway point of the Lincoln Land Championship presented by LRS.

The cut came at 1-over 143, seven strokes higher than last year at Panther Creek Country Club, largely due to windy conditions throughout the first and second rounds.

Kennerly carded an even-par 71 during the morning wave on Friday to remain at 6-under. Starting at the 10th, he birdied both of the par-5s during a bogey-free back nine but carded three bogeys along with a birdie at the seventh on the front to cap off his round.

“The big difference between today and yesterday was just making less putts and having less good looks,” said Kennerly. “Yesterday I was underneath the hole a lot and had some good angles, and today I was just a little out of position on some holes. It’s just tougher to get it going when you do that.”

Twice this season Kennerly has been in the top six after 36 holes, but the Clemson alum is still seeking his first win on Tour. Kennerly ranks in the top three in both greens in regulation and fairways hit this week.

“I’ve had a few chances to win this year,” said Kennerly. “I haven’t converted one yet, but I’ve been in the hunt late. Hopefully I can use that experience and play a little better this week.”

After bogeying his first hole (10th), Whaley went par-birdie-eagle-birdie over his next four en route to his second consecutive 3-under 68. This marks the first time the Georgia Tech alum has held a lead or co-lead after a round on the Web.com Tour.

“I really just wanted to be back in contention,” said Whaley. “I haven’t been up near the top in a while, and I’ve been watching my boy Scottie [Scheffler] tear it up out here so I’ve been a little jealous. I just want to have a chance on Sunday.”

Whaley is looking to become the second rookie on the Web.com Tour this season to lock up his PGA TOUR card (after Scheffler). He would reach the projected point threshold (approximately 830 points) with a win or a runner-up this week.

“We both grew up in Dallas, Texas, and I’ve been playing with him since I was really young,” said Whaley of Scheffler, who is competing in the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach this week. “We’ve been close buddies for a while and there’s definitely some rivalry there.”

Steger carded a bogey-free 66 on Friday, one of just three bogey-free rounds over the first two days. After starting on the 10th hole, the Ball State alum tallied three back-nine birdies along with an eagle at the par-5 16th before parring his final nine holes on the front nine for a 6-under total.

“It got tough there towards the end,” said Steger. “It got really windy and rained a little bit so I was just kind of holding on. I only missed a couple of greens today; I was trying to hit it to about 25 feet, middle of the green most of the time unless I was inside 150 or 160 yards. But it was a good day and I managed my misses well.”

Steger, who has conditional status after a subpar showing at Q-School, described his life as a blur over the past two months as he welcomed a baby boy on May 20.

“These last six or seven weeks have been crazy,” said Steger. “My wife, Natalie, and I welcomed a new baby boy, Hudson, about four weeks ago. In between there I’ve been getting into a couple tournaments last minute. In Chicago I got in the morning of the first round, the day after we moved home from the hospital. I made the cut there which helped me get into a few more tournaments. I haven’t slept a whole lot.”

Jonathan Randolph, Rick Lamb and Matthew Campbell each sit one shot back at 5-under 137.

Third-round tee times will run from 9:10 a.m. to 11 a.m. off of the first and 10th tees on Saturday at Panther Creek Country Club.

FRIDAY NOTES:

* Friday’s weather: Partly Cloudy, High of 79. Winds S/SW at 7-16 miles per hour and gusts up to 25 miles per hour.

* The 36-hole cut came at 1-over 143 with 66 professionals advancing to the weekend. That cut was seven strokes higher than last year at this tournament (6-under). The scoring average through two rounds last year was 68.487, while it is at 72.160 this year after 36 holes.

* The 36-hole lead is the first time any of Billy Kennerly, Vincent Whaley or Eric Steger has led after the second round on the Web.com Tour.

* Jonathan Randolph (T4) carded the only eagle of the day at the par-4 11th hole, a hole out from 141 yards out. Randolph finished T3 last week with rounds of 67-65-66. Rick Lamb, also T4, birdied three of his last four holes to reach 5-under.

* While he is making his debut this week on the Web.com Tour, Matthew Campbell (T4) has made one previous start on the PGA TOUR: the 2017 U.S. Open (MC).

* Andres Gallegos (T28) had the top round of the morning wave, posting a 5-under 66 to rise from T104 to T28. He shot a 4-over 75 on Thursday during the opening round.

* Steven Fisk, an amateur and former two-time Sun Belt Conference individual champion at Georgia Southern University, sits T18 after 36 holes. He is one of two amateurs in the field Michael Feagles (MC).

* John Oda carded an ace at the par-3, 182-yard 14th hole using an 8-iron. The ace was Oda’s first of the year and the 12th overall on Tour this season.

* Each of the four iterations of the tournament have taken place at Panther Creek Country Club. Each of the three previous winners of the tournament have gone on to earn their PGA TOUR card in the Regular Season as a member of The 25. Last year’s champion, Anders Albertson, set a tournament record at 25-under 259.

* This week’s purse is $550,000, with $99,000 going to the winner. The champion will also earn 500 points in the Web.com Tour points system.

* Thirty-seven former Web.com Tour champions are competing in the field, amounting to 52 victories, as well as six PGA TOUR champions (equaling seven victories).

* The par-4 eighth hole (410 yards) ranked as the toughest hole on Friday at Panther Creek with an average of 4.298.

* The par-5 13th hole (603 yards) ranked as the easiest hole on Friday at Panther Creek with an average of 4.377.

* Panther Creek Country Club Scoring Averages: