Charlie Saxon maintains lead at Lincoln Land Championship presented by LRS

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A day after his career-best round of 61, Charlie Saxon followed it up with a 5-under 66 to reach 15-under at the midway point of the Lincoln Land Championship presented by LRS. The 27-year-old opened up a two-stroke lead over Brett Drewitt at Panther Creek Country Club.

“It’s definitely difficult to back up a really good round with another one,” said Saxon. “I don’t know why that is, it wouldn’t seem to be the case, but today I just looked at it as starting from ground zero again. I wanted to go do it again today. It’s a long tournament on a relatively easy golf course, so you’re just going to have to make birdies out here.”

Starting the day at the par-4 10th, Saxon birdied Nos. 11-13 and added another at the 16th to turn at 4-under 32. He tacked on eight pars and birdie at the sixth on his second nine to reach 15-under for the tournament. For the second consecutive day Saxon hit 17 of 18 greens in regulation.

Saxon’s hot start to the tournament comes as no surprise after residing near the top of the leaderboard over the past month. The former University of Oklahoma star has been inside the top-10 on the leaderboard after 11 of his last 15 rounds on Tour. Though he hasn’t broken through with a win yet, he does have a strong track record. He won twice while at Oklahoma and four times as a professional on PGA TOUR Series-China (where he is still the all-time leading money winner).

“Just knowing that I’ve won and done it quite a lot,” reflected Saxon. “I haven’t done it here on this Tour yet, but I’m confident that I will. Whether it’s this weekend or some other weekend, I think I’m going to win. Just knowing that I’ve got the goods and I’ve played well down the stretch in tournaments to close the deal, I try to rely on those thoughts.”

Saxon has finished in the top-20 in five of his past eight starts, climbing from No. 113 to 51st in the Korn Ferry Tour points standings during that stretch. With a win this week, he would project to move inside the top-15 in the standings.

Drewitt tied the low round of the day with a bogey-free 9-under 62. The 29-year-old Australian has played in all 18 tournaments this season but had made just six cuts entering the week. On Friday he carded six birdies in a seven-hole stretch (Nos. 11-17, except the 14th) to ascend the leaderboard.

Vincent Whaley, who carded a 63 on Thursday, tacked on five more birdies on Friday for a second-round 67 to sit solo-third at 12-under.

The tournament will continue with the third round on Saturday with tee times from 8:00 a.m. to 10:01 a.m. off of the first and 10th tees.