Hargrove Stays on Top at Open
YORK, Pa. - On a rainy and windy day at the Country Club of York where just one player broke par, Haverford's Nelson Hargrove used a steady round of even par 70 to hold on to his spot atop the leaderboard, as he heads into the final round of the Allegheny Health Network 98th Open Championship with a one-shot lead over Hawley's John Pillar.
"It was a tough day out there today, obviously, with the weather we had to deal with," Hargrove said. "It was really difficult with the rain and wind to try to determine what shot to hit."
Playing in his first tournament as a professional, Hargrove is trying for a wire-to-wire win at the Donald Ross track. He began his second round on the back nine, where he extended his lead with birdies on No. 14 and No. 17. After another birdie at the par-5 second hole, Hargrove was at -7 for the tournament. But a trio of bogeys in his last six holes brought him back to even par for the day, and six-under overall.
"I had a hard time with club selection today," Hargrove said. "I made two bogeys in three holes where I hit really good shots, but I just overclubbed."
An example of that came at No. 5, a 393-yard par-4, where Hargrove hit an 8-iron approach from 150 yards to the middle of the green, but couldn't keep the ball on the putting surface. That led to a bogey, which was preceded (No. 4) and followed (No. 7) by bogeys before a pair of pars finished off the round.
Trailing Hargrove by a shot is Pillar, the Director of Golf at The Country Club at Woodloch Springs. After starting his round one shot behind Hargrove, Pillar rose to the top of the leaderboard by firing a 3-under 32 on the front nine, with four birdies in a six-hole stretch. But the lead quickly went away with bogeys on the first three holes of the back side. Pillar closed with a string of pars to ensure his spot in the final pairing of tomorrow's final round. Pillar is looking to capture his first Open title. He finished second in the 2000 Open at Gulph Mills GC.
In third place heading into the final round is 2010 champion Robert Rohanna, a professional from Waynesburg. Rohanna carded a second-straight 69 for a -2 total after two rounds. That 69 was the low score of the day. Just behind Rohanna is Pittsburgh professional Kevin Shields, a three-time runner-up at the event (2003, 2005, 2011), who sits at even par overall.
Round one co-leader Mark Sheftic of Blue Bell fired a second round 75, but is just five shots back at +1. He's joined at that number by Saxonburg's Joe Boros, a PA Golf Association stalwart who captured the Open the last time it was held at CC of York, in 1989.
At +2 are four players, including the two low amateurs through two rounds. Amateurs Oliver White of Lower Gwynedd and Kyle Martin of Ambler are joined at that number by the event's 2004 champ, Ryan Sikora of Greensburg, and Robert McClellan of Butler.
A pair of past champions headline the group at three-over. That includes defending champion Andrew Mason of Huntingdon Valley and Mike Van Sickle Wexford (2007 and 2008 champ).
Hargrove, a recent graduate of Brown University, has held the lead a few times this summer, including after the first round of the recent Pennsylvania Amateur at Oakmont CC. But this is his first time in that position as a professional.
"It's the same deal as being an amateur," Hargrove said. "I just have to go out there and play."
With that being said, Hargrove does have a few pieces of strategy that he plans to use tomorrow.
"I need to take the long out of play," he said. "Over the green here is a really bad place to be. My goal is to keep myself in the right spot."
If he fulfills that goal, Hargrove will put himself in position to earn the winner's check of $8,000 and get his name on the Arnold Palmer Trophy.
The final group of Hargrove, Pillar and Rohanna are slated to tee off at 10:20 a.m. on Wednesday morning.