The day belonged to Brian McCann, but there were many solid performances to go along with his 5-under-par 65 during the second round of the Mr. Lube PGA Championship of sa国际传媒.
McCann, of Brampton Golf Club, had the low round to the conclusion of stroke play on another blustery day at Victoria Golf Club and, matched with his opening 73, sits one stroke behind Marc-Eitienne Bussieres of Longchamp Golf de Club (71-66).
Both easily advance to the match play portion of the championship as the top 16 will tee it up this morning at 7:30. The eight winners will move on to quarter-finals at 1 p.m. before the tournament concludes Thursday.
Among the superb sub-par rounds in the strong wind were Mike Belbin鈥檚 3-under 67, which followed his opening 78, and Olympic View鈥檚 Gordy Scutt, who birdied his last three holes to wrap up a 1-under 69 that got him in.
Scutt had rounds of 77-69 to place 11th in stroke play, one back of a group of four at 5-over 145 over the two days, including Belbin and Victoria鈥檚 Jim Rutledge (74-71), a former tournament champ.
McCann had five birdies, including a stretch from holes 4, 5 and 6 and the two par-5s on the back nine, Nos. 12 and 17.
鈥淚t was a good day. I drove it perfectly and my irons were real solid. I was never in jeopardy of making even one bogey out there,鈥� said McCann. 鈥淚 rolled my putts well, even the putts that didn鈥檛 go in from 30 feet were sitting on the edge.鈥�
Bussieres鈥� round of 66 included an eagle 2 on the par-4 10th hole. He added birdies on his last two holes.
Belbin had it to 4-under through 12 holes before three-putt hiccups on Nos. 13 and 15, before getting a shot back on the par-5 17th.
鈥淥bviously, it wasn鈥檛 as difficult as [Monday],鈥� said Belbin, of Royal Mayfair in Edmonton. 鈥淚 got through the first five holes without too much wind and sort of attacked the course more, but it got harder as the day went on.鈥�
Scutt turned it up a notch to earn his spot with the turkey trot on 16, 17 and 18.
鈥淚 made a good putt on 16 that got me rolling. I knew 17, if I hit the fairway, I could reach it and I almost made eagle there. On the last hole I just thought, make it, because in my mind I thought that would be the number,鈥� he said.
A four-for-three-spots playoff was held with Bryn Parry of Point Grey, Oliver Tubb of University Golf Club in Vancouver (the runner-up last year) and Chris Barber of The Landings Golf Course and Teaching Centre all advancing.
鈥淚鈥檒l take a small victory knowing I played a bit better,鈥� said Rutledge, who faces Kevin Black of Redwood Meadows near Calgary today.
Scutt has a tough out in former PGA Tour sa国际传媒 player Dustin Risdon of the National Golf Academy Dome in Calgary. Bussieres draws Tubb; McCann has a monstrous match in Parry, a former champ; as is Dave Levesque of La Vallee de Richelieu who meets veteran Phil Jonas of Hazelmere; James Harper of McCleery Golf Course takes on Nick Kenney of The National Golf Club of sa国际传媒; Belbin plays Andrew Smeeth of Meadowlands; and Bill Walsh of Fairtree Golf Centre challenges Barber.
Belbin and McCann are both two-time PGA Assistants鈥� Championship of sa国际传媒 winners.
CHIP SHOTS: Victoria head pro Lindsay Bernakevitch missed the playoff by a shot (74-75); Lance McCullough of Cordova Bay (78-74); Bill Kelly of Glacier Greens in Comox (79-79), Kevin Maxwell of Olympic View (85-74) and Gorge Vale鈥檚 Edd Boudreau (82-82) also missed the cut.
