By Tom Zulewski, Iron County Today
IVINS – As the top of the leaderboard got crowded toward the end of the first round at the Bank of Utah Championship, Austin Smotherman had no problem taking a look at who was in front.
By the time his second round was done Friday, Smotherman made the leap over everyone and stood alone at the head of the tournament field.
Smotherman shot a 9-under 62, tying Zach Bauchou for low round of the week, and took a 1-shot lead over Kevin Roy after two rounds on the Black Desert course in Ivins. The 32-year-old SMU grad overcame an early bogey and reeled off a pair of three-hole birdie runs to help him finish the day in front.
“I don’t mind looking at (the leaderboard) on Thursday or Friday,” Smotherman said. “It’s different when they’re definitely trying to get your attention, but they’re out there. I just soak it all in.”
Before Smotherman made his late charge, Kevin Streelman was Roy’s biggest challenger after shooting a 7-under 64. Streelman had a chance to join Roy at 16-under, but his birdie try from the fringe at the 18th hole ended up short.
“I was in between. I’m really good at that shot, but I just didn’t hit it hard enough,” Streelman said of his third shot into the par-5 18th. “It would have been really nice if I had hit it a few feet harder.”
The scoring pace picked up late in Round 1 to the point where nine players shared the lead at 8-under par. Zach Bauchou stole all the thunder and carded a career-best 9-under 62 by finishing with a birdie at the 18th to lead by himself as the second round began.
Bauchou would struggle a bit more in the second round, producing five birdies to go with three bogeys and finishing with a 2-under 69.
Roy was one of the nine players who carded a 63 in the first round. He would repeat the performance after a birdie on the 9th hole to finish at 16-under, his career-best mark after 36 holes, but Smotherman birdied his final three holes – 16, 17 and 18 – to claim the outright lead over Roy.
As of the start of the afternoon wave of players (12:30 p.m.), the projected cut line to advance to the weekend – top 65 and ties – was 4-under par. Lehi native Tony Finau shot 3-under 68 on Friday and finished at the needed number.
Among the rest of the players with Utah ties, Zac Blair, Kihei Akina and Patrick Fishburn were safe above the cut line as they played the second round.
TV coverage is available from now until 6 p.m. on Golf Channel.
Here are the leaders as of 4 p.m. through two rounds at the Bank of Utah Championship being played at Black Desert Resort (7,421 yards, par 71) in Ivins.
Austin Smotherman 63-62-125
Kevin Roy 63-63-126
Kevin Streelman 63-64-127
Zach Bauchou 62-69-131
Chris Kirk 68-63-131
Chad Ramey 66-65-131
Nick Taylor 64-68-132
Gordon Sargent 67-65-132
Chandler Blanchet 69-63-132
Harry Higgs 67-66-133
Note: Three more players had totals to fit in the leaderboard, but their second rounds are still in progress.
Doug Ghim -12 through 14
Stephen Fisk -12 through 8
Stephen Jaeger -10 through 9