With 14 participants in the mix at this year’s 2nd stage of the Web.com qualifying, Canada is well represented.
Three 2nd stage events take place this week at courses in Texas (2) and Florida (1).
Brad Fritsch, who had three top 10s on the PGA Tour last season, followed up his first round 70 at the TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Tex. with a 1-under par 71. The 37-year-old is currently tied for eighth with Kyle Scott of Decatur, Ga.
Playing alongside the Ottawa native at Craig Ranch are fellow Canadians Beon Yeong Lee of Montreal, Cam Burke of Kitchener, Ont., Justin Shin of Maple Ridge, B.C., and Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont.
Lee began the week strong, firing a 3-under par 69 Tuesday, but gave all three strokes back in second round action, carding a 72. He is tied for 23rd.
Pendrith, who turned heads with gargantuan drives at the 2014 RBC Canadian Open in Montreal, has struggled in his first two rounds (75, 73). After making four bogeys and a double to accompany his five birdies in Rd. 2, the long-bomber is T46.
Burke and Shin both finished Rd. 2 tied for 33rd spot at +2.
Just less than 500 km away at the qualifier in Kingwood, Tex, four Canadians have gotten off to a tremendous start and all sit within the Top 25 after Day 2.
Peterborough’s Ted Brown is 12th at 1-over after carding a 1-under 71 at Deerwood Golf Club Wednesday. Devin Carrey of Burnaby, B.C. and Albin Choi of Toronto are one-stroke back of Brown, as both players are tied for 15th at 2-over. Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont. (T22) is also in the mix, trailing Choi and Carrey by a shot at +3.
Meanwhile, Toronto native Christian Westhorpe shot a 5-under par 67 on Wednesday to finish tied for 8th at the qualifier in Florida. His countryman Wilson Bateman of Edmonton is also in a good position, tied for 19th after carding rounds of 69 and 71.
Both players have a good chance of advancing to the final qualifying stage next month if they continue to play well this week at Southern Hills Plantation Club.
Also in the field in Florida this week are Canadians Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont., Christopher Ross of Dundas, Ont., and Matt Hill of Sarnia, Ont.
Gligic opened with rounds of 69-75 and sits tied for 47.
Ross, who has recorded three albatrosses in 2014, is +4 (T69) and will have to go low in Rds. 3 & 4 if he is to advance.
Hill, who won the Canadian Tour Order of Merit in 2012, is T47 with an accumulative score of even par after two days.
For all web.com 2nd stage qualifying information and scores, click here.