GREEN, DYSON, HOWELL SHARE LEAD IN IRISH OPEN

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Australian Richard Green joined English pair Simon Dyson and David Howell in a share of the lead with a round to play at the Irish Open presented by Discover Ireland.
Howell was paired with US Open Champion Rory McIlroy – the man who finished 26 shots ahead of him at Congressional – but this time it was World Number 282 Howell that fired a superb 64 in wind and rain to charge all the way from joint 25th into a tie for the lead with Dyson and Green.
World Number Four McIlroy, whose record-breaking total at Congressional gave him his first Major title by a massive eight strokes, dropped back to joint 32nd with a one over par 72, the same as compatriot Graeme McDowell
Howell, known as one of golf's best putters when he was beating Tiger Woods head to head in 2005 and then leaving the rest for dead in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth the following May, had no such problems.
So now the man who almost fell outside the world's top 500 from ninth after that five shot win in The European Tour's flagship event has a chance to end more than five injury plagued years without a victory.
He would have led on his own had Dyson not birdied the 17th and left-hander Green the last, both for rounds of 67.
Scot Stephen Gallacher matched that score to move into fourth place, two shots behind, but halfway leader Marcel Siem double-bogeyed the 18th for a 73 and was joint fifth with defending champion Ross Fisher and Dane Søren Hansen three behind.
Howell, twice a Ryder Cup player, said: "I've not been in the best of form for quite some time, so I was intrigued how I was going to be playing with Rory.
"He's the star of world golf, but there were no nerves and the crowds were amazing.
"I think I got inspiration from the big-time atmosphere. I did everything really well and it was great.
"I've given myself a chance - that's the main thing - and I was delighted to hole a seven footer (for par) on the last. Missing it would have been a sad way to end a flawless day."
The 36 year old has only once scored better in his European Tour career, but also had a 64 on the opening day at Killarney last year.
"They're my best two rounds in a year and three days," he said. "While Rory was doing miraculous things at the US Open, I was absolutely shocking.
"We couldn't have had more polar opposite weeks, but it led me onto a lot of thinking.
"It's been a bit of a muddle for a few months, but finally last week I clicked on something that I thought was a sensible course of action in my swing thoughts.
"Nothing particularly major, but it cleared my mind a bit."
While McIlroy had two shots on the beach by Lough Leane for an opening six - he also double-bogeyed the eighth - Howell parred the first four, then birdied the fifth and seventh and had five more in a spectacular inward 31 as the wind and rain turned worse.
McIlroy said: "I'm feeling as if I need a couple of drinks or something. It was a bad start, but I got it together at the end and one over is not too bad, considering.
"I'm happy that it's going right rather than left. At least the club's out in front of me instead of being behind and flipping it over.
"It's an easy fix. It's the ones that go left I don't like.
"At this tournament you're trying so hard to play well for not just yourself, but for everyone else. Sometimes you can just find yourself trying a little too hard and pushing a bit too much."
Dyson, who finished ninth in The Open Championship a fortnight ago after being called in as a reserve just before, now has a chance to climb back into the world's top 50 and qualify for this coming week's World Golf Championships event in Ohio.
"I'm really excited," he said.
"I don't think the golf club has felt as good in my hand all year, so I'm looking forward to the last round.
"I always think that British golf fans are the best golf fans to play in front of, like The Open crowd, and they are proving me right." British and Irish, he presumably meant.
Green stated: "I have a bit of a reputation of firing it up in the last round, so hopefully it happens tomorrow."

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STEVEN BROWN IS NEW ENGLISH AMATEUR CHAMPION

FROM THE ENGLISH GOLF UNION WEBSITE
Steven Brown is the English Amateur champion. He won the title, supported by abacus, by beating Jamie Clare 7 and 5 in the 36-hole final at a sun-drenched Woburn.
His victory ended a long wait for a major victory and he joins a long line of former champions such as Michael Bonallack, Nick Faldo and Mark James.
“I’m hugely thrilled to win this title,” he said modestly. “I’ve been close a lot of times over the past few years so it’s good to have finally won something significant.”
The 24 year old from Surrey had one hand on the trophy at lunch after ending the morning round over the Marquess Course with an eight-hole lead.
At that stage many people were asking if he might beat the highest winning margin of 12 and 11 set by Bonallack in beating David Kelley at Ganton in 1968.
“I wasn’t thinking of anything like that. It didn’t enter my head,” added Brown. “I just wanted to keep playing the same way and let the score take care of itself.”
In fact, Clare won the afternoon session and he deserves credit for making a fight of it although he was had too big a mountain to climb.
Brown dominated the morning. He won the first two holes and was 6-up at the turn after covering the front nine in three-under-par 33.
Nerves obviously played a part in Clare’s fortunes. Just turned 17, he found himself on the biggest stage he has yet trod and his play over that early stage was erratic to say the least.
Brown dropped only one shot in the morning when he took two to exit a greenside bunker on the short 14th.
But although he started the afternoon 8-up, Brown decided it was a new game and planned in exactly the same way as he started, to hit every fairway and green and to hole putts.
It didn’t quite work that way but he was never in danger and admitted: “I was so tired after lunch. My legs were dead and I wasn’t quite on my game.”
Even so, he stayed 8-up until the 25th which Clare birdied while he cut the deficit to 6 with a birdie-three at the ninth, going out in 34 to Brown’s 36.
However, the Someset teenager three-putted the tenth but birdied the long 29th then matched Brown’s birdie at 30 to stay at 6-down.
The end came at the par four next where Clare missed the green right and faced a devilish chip only for the ball to roll down the slope and stop further away than he started.
He bravely tried to repair the damage but when Brown rolled his birdie putt close for a certain par, Clare offered his congratulations.
“I was pleased to win the afternoon battle but I couldn’t hit the ball on the front nine this morning,” said Clare. “But I kept at it and I didn’t lose my head.
“Steven hardly missed a fairway, a green or a putt but this has been a great week for me and hopefully it will open a few doors.”
We shall hear more of Clare while his victory will boost Brown’s chances of Walker Cup selection. He is aiming to turn professional later in the year and hopes to follow in the footsteps of some of the past English champions.
“It’s great to be on the same list as the previous winners and if I can achieve a tiny bit that they’ve accomplished I’ll be delighted.
“At the start of the week I wasn’t expecting to win but I felt I had a good chance. You can’t get ahead of yourself but I’m delighted how it’s turned out.”

GRAEME BROWN WINS KIPPIE LODGE PRO-AM AT PETERCULTER

Montrose Links tour professional Graeme Brown won one of the biggest cheques of his career when he earned first prize of £1,467 in the Kippie Lodge Sports Club pro-celam at Peterculter Golf Club, near Aberdeen today.
Brown, who played on the US college circuit while at university in America, was capped for Scotland as an amateur in the 2004 season.
He shot a flawless round of six-under-par 65 to win by one shot from Northern Open champion Greig Hutcheon (Banchory) who earned £1,173 - not many Scottish pro-ams pay a four-figure sum to the runner-up.
Brown crammed his six birdies in a bogey-free round into nine holes - getting sub-par figures at the long seventh, the short eighth, ninth, 11th, 12th and 14th.
Scott Henderson (Kings Links), Graham Fox (Rowallan Castle), Colin Gillies (Kingsfield) and Stephen Gray (Hayston) finished joint third on 68 and earned £352 each.
Henderson led the Paull and Williamsons team of former Curtis Cup player Elaine Farquharson-Black (handicap 1), Matthew Boyne (18) and Graeme Hood (18) to victory in the team event with a net total of 19-under-par 123.

KIPPIE LODGE SPORTS CLUB PRO-CELAM
Peterculter Golf Club
LEADING PRO SCORES
Par 71
65 Graeme Brown (Montrose Links) £1,467.
66 Greig Hutcheon (Banchory) £1,173.
68 Scott Henderson (Kings Links), Graham Fox (Rowallan Castle), Colin Gillies (Kingsfield), Stephen Gray (Hayston) £627 each.
69 Craig Matheson (Falkirk Tryst), Fraser Mann (Musselburgh) £352 each.
70 Peter Smith (Deeside), Ross Dixon (Renaissance Club), Mark Kerr (Murrayfield), Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs), Craig Ronald (Carluke), Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills) £220 each.
71 Gary Forbes (Aboyne), Ross Cameron (McDonald Ellon), Lindsay Mann (Carnoustie), Jason McCreadie (Buchanan Castle), Steven Taylor (Bothwell Castle).
72 David Patrick (Elie SC), Iain Buchan (Alford).

DAVID LAW SCOTTISH CHAMPION FOR SECOND TIME IN AYRSHIRE

FROM THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION WEBSITE
REPORT BY ROSS DUNCAN, PICTURE BY ANDY FORMAN
Aberdeen's David Law (Hazlehead) produced a links golf master class to clinch his second Scottish Amateur Championship title with a 6 and 5 victory over Dunbar’s Daniel Kay at Western Gailes.
Law, who becomes the first multiple winner of the championship since Charlie Green in 1983, was in outstanding form from start to finish, firing eight birdies and an eagle in thirty-one holes, which 20-year-old Kay couldn’t match.
The win was sealed in fine style as Law rifled a 9-iron from 153 yards to eighteen inches at the par three thirteenth of the afternoon round, indicative of his superb iron play throughout the final.
A jubilant Law, whose first title win came just a few miles down the coast at Royal Troon two years ago, was delighted with his display:
“It feels even better than the first time as I think I’ll appreciate it more. I’ve had an up and down year after the high of performing so well in South Africa, then probably being too hard on myself in the big events during the middle of the year. This was a big week for me and I can take great pride in the way I’ve played.”
“Today was without doubt some of the best golf I’ve produced and tee to green I hardly missed a shot. I came into this week with a really positive attitude and to play the way I did on front of so many people was good fun.” said Law, who moves onto Sweden next week to compete in the European Amateur Championship.
As the players teed off in glorious sunshine this morning, it was Kay who made the first breakthrough with an opening birdie three, but that proved to be the only time he held the lead after Law responded with his first birdie at the third to square the match.
Law moved ahead with a winning par at the fifth and stretched his lead with a glorious 35-foot eagle putt at the sixth, after Kay had made a great sand save for birdie. Further birdies followed for Law at the eighth and the eleventh to go three clear and the duo halved the next five holes before a wayward second at the 17th from Kay allowed lead to a bogey, increasing Law’s lead to four holes at the halfway stage.
That lead became five when Law birdied the opening hole of the back nine but Kay fought back to win the 20th with a par. The lead was restored to five when Kay three-putted the 23rd hole and after both players made excellent up and down birdies at the long 24th, Law turned the screw with a fine birdie two at the next after hitting his tee shot to four feet.
The result was looking inevitable when Law sank another 4-foot birdie putt at the 30th but Kay wasn’t to be outdone, rattling in a 30-foot birdie putt at the next hole to keep the game alive. The Dunbar man still had a mountain climb and the result was sealed when Kay conceded Law’s 18-inch birdie putt at the 31st.
Despite the defeat, Kay was a pleased with his performances throughout the week:
“That was frightening golf today, as solid as it gets and David deserved to win. Overall, it’s been a great championship and I’ve played some great golf myself. Hopefully my performances will get noticed and I can build on what I’ve achieved.”

FIFE GOLF ASSOCIATION MEN'S ORDER OF MERIT STANDINGS

2011 FIFE ORDER OF MERIT for THE MACKAY BOWL

Positions after 16 events.

	NAME	CLUB		Points
1	James White	Lundin		1005
2	Scott Crichton	Aberdour		600
3	Brian Soutar	Leven GS		500
4	Greg Paterson	The New Club		360
5	Peter Latimer	The New Club		300
6	Scott Stewart-Cation	The Dukes		285
7	Stuart Meiklejohn	Aberdour		270
8	Mark Beveridge	Dunnikier Park		205

The next counting events for THE 2011 FIFE ORDER OF MERIT are

THE PITREAVIE GC 36 HOLE OPEN (31 July)

STRATHLENE FOUR-DAY MEN'S OPEN

SCRATCH SECTION

Semi finals
RYAN BAIN (Strathlene) bt B S SLORACH (Strathlene) 2 and 1
JAKE SCOTT (Strathlene) bt MICHAEL FINDLAY (Cullen) 1 Hole
Final
Jake Scott bt Ryan Bain 2 Holes

(16 year old Scott is the youngest ever to win the Scratch Trophy)

CLASS 1
Semi finals
F CHRISTIE (Craigmillar Park) (6) bt G DAVIDSON (Strathlene) (9) 1 hole
L CAMPBELL (Buckpool) (9) bt K ANDERSON (Peterhead) (5) 4 and 3
Final
F Christie bt L Campbell 2 and 1

(Christie is only 15 years old)

CLASS 2
Semi finals
K CAMPBELL (Strathlene) (10) bt W J MAIR (Cullen) (12) 5 and 4
D J HAY (Strathlene) (10) at G W COULL 5 and 4
Final
D J HAY bt K CAMPBELL 4 and 2

CLASS 3
Semi finals
P MUNCH junior (Perth Miners) (16) bt R TAYLOR (Canmore) (13) 7 and 5.
K DONALD (14) bt J MELLION 1 hole
Final
P MUNCH junior bt K DONALD 4 and 2
























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STEVEN BROWN v JAMIE CLARE IN TODAY'S ENGLISH AM FINAL

FROM THE ENGLISH GOLF UNION WEBSITE
Steven Brown will meet Jamie Clare in Saturday’s 36-hole final of the English Amateur Championship, supported by abacus, over the Marquess Course at Woburn. In the semi-finals, Brown beat Tyrrell Hatton 3 and 2, while Clare overcame Callum Shinkwin 2 and 1.
It will be both players’ first major final and if their earlier exploits are any indication then the final should be well worth watching.
“I’m really pleased to make the final,” said Brown. “I’ve been playing well and working hard on my putting and with every day I’ve felt more comfortable on the greens.
“I knew it would be a tough match against Tyrrell. He is a fine player but I got ahead early on where I hadn’t been in earlier matches.”
Brown, who has been a regular high finisher in recent years without claiming a title, came from behind to put out Sam Claridge 2 and 1 in his morning quarter final while Hatton also trailed but reeled off six birdies in his final eight holes in disposing of Newcastle’s Philip Ridden by the same score.
Although Hatton drew first blood by winning the second hole when Brown drove through the fairway and took bogey, the Wentworth man then won three holes in a row, two with birdies, to secure a lead he never relinquished.Birdies at the fifth and seventh saw Brown 3-up and although Hatton won the ninth with a par, Brown went 3-up again at 15, getting up-and-down from a bunker from 130 yards. The end came with a par at the next.
“I drove the ball well again which you have to do on the Marquess if you want to make birdies,” added 24-year-old Brown, who will give away seven years to Clare in the final.
Despite his birdie burst in the morning, Hatton couldn’t find a single one against Brown. “I had a lot of chance but I missed every one,” he said. “But Steve played really solid and controlled the match from the start.”
Shinkwin, who is off to the Boys Home Internationals next week, won the first two holes, one with a birdie, against Clare in a match packed with birdies.
Clare got back to all square with birdies at the fourth and fifth only for Shinkwin to sink one of his own at six. But again Clare birdied seven to continue the sparkling play up to the 11th.
Then a further birdie saw Clare ahead for the first time and he increased it when Shinkwin bogeyed the short 14th. They both birdied 15 but Shinkwin was unable to make further inroads and the end came at 17.
“I had five birdies and finished around four under after messing up the first,” said Clare, who had his mother Anne as caddie. “It’s unbelievable to be in the final. It’s the best thing that has happened to me in golf and at the start of the week I never thought I’d get this far.”Clare’s final slot is no fluke. He caused a shock in the quarter finals by beating England cap Jack Senior by one hole after never being behind.
In the other quarter final, Shinkwin was always in control against Henry Smart, running out a comfortable 3 and 2 winner.

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SANDY PIRIE AND DUNCAN McCALLUM RETAIN SUPER-SENIOR TITLES

Both defending champions, Sandy Pirie (Hazlehead) and Duncan McCallum (Stirling) retained their titles in the Scottish Senior Golfing Society Super-Seniors championship over two days at the Largs Kelburn course.
The course was in brilliant condition and competitors were fully tested by speedy greens with some challenging positions.
Sandy won trhe overall event (65 + years) and the trophy bearing his name while Duncan was again the best of the Over-70s
Sandy was headed by six players after round one but the 1967 Walker Cup player patiently compiled a 73 in Round 2 which took him past all of the others with a total of 152 - a shot ahead of another past Walker Cup man, Scott Macdonald (Dunfermline) and Stirling's David Smith.
Duncan McCallum's winning total in the Over-70 years' category was 166 with scores of 85 and 81. Runner-up was Cameron Greer (Eastwood) with 85 and 84 for 169.
SSGS President Gordon MacDonald travelled down to Ayrshire to present the trophies.
LEADING TOTALS
65+years
152 Sandy Pirie (Hazlehead) 79 73.
153 David Smith (Stirling) 76 77, Scott Macdonald (Dunfermline) 76 77.
155 Tony McIntyre (Lundin Links) 76 79, Jim Kinloch (Cardross) 79 76.
157 Tom Carson (Lockerbie) 76 81, Keith Howie (West Kilbride) 77 80.
158 Ken Thomson (Bramall Park) 82 76. 
160 David Millar (St Andrews New) 85 75.
161 Colin Campbell (Gullane) 81 80, Brian Grieve (King James VI) 82 79.
162 David Doodson (Temple) 77 85, Colin Moir (Worksop) 80 82.
163 Bily Wallace (Prestwick St Cuthbert) 83 80, Gordon Gray (Newmachar) 83 80.
164 Jim Bunting (Ballochmyle) 83 81.
Over 70 years
166 Duncan McCallum (Stirling) 85 81.
169 Cameron Greer (Eastwood) 85 84.

LOTHIANS-ANGUS UNDER-16 BOYS DRAW AT DALMAHOY WEST

Angus Under-16 boys team earned a good 4.5-4.5 draw with their Lothians counterparts at Dalmahoy West. Trailing 2-1 after the morning foursomes, the Angus boys took control in the afternoon singles, winning them 3.5-2.5.
Craigielaw's Willem Kerr made a great 12 foot birdie putt on the final green to to halve his match against Marc Howie and to deny Angus an outright victory.
Performance of the day came from Caird Park's Connar Cook with two good wins over Under-16s international Calum Hill.
Junior convenor Alex McKay was particularly pleased as the last few encounters between the sides have resulted in heavy defeats for the Angus boys, and this also maintains 2011's unbeaten run for the under 16s team.
RESULTS
Angus names first

FOURSOMES (1-2)
Connar Cook (Caird Park) and Marc Howie (Ballumbie) bt Calum Hill (Tantallon)and Stuart Blair (Royal Musselburgh) 3 and 2.
Scott Grant (Downfield) and Ian Christie (Downfield) lost to Callum Cochrane(Dalmahoy) and Callum Satterly (Longniddry) 2 and 1.
Gavin Petrie (Forfar) and Sean Grubb (Ballumbie) lost to Willem Kerr(Craigielaw) and Ewan Bowden(Glen) 4 and 3.

SINGLES (3.5-2.5)
Cook bt Hill 4 and 3.
Christie lost to Blair 4 and 3.
Grubb bt Cochrane 3 and 2.
Grant bt Satterley 1 hole
Howie halfed with Kerr
Petrie lost to Bowden 2 and 1.
OVERALL RESULT:
LOTHIANS U-16s 4.5, ANGUS U-16s 4.5

US NATIONWIDE TOUR SCOREBOARD

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OLIN BROWNE LEADS US SENIOR OPEN AT HALFWAY

FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Olin Browne likes old stuff. That's a perfect attitude for someone playing on the over-50 tour.
On a course he didn't know but has come to love, Browne followed a record-tying 64 with a solid 69 on Friday to take a one-shot lead over a talent-laden leaderboard in the rain-delayed second round of the U.S. Senior Open.
"I really like this old style," he said of venerable Inverness Club.
Mark O'Meara, who shot a 68, was one of a number of major championship winners lurking close to Browne. He was one stroke back.
"Eight-under after two rounds around this golf course is good," O'Meara said. "I've got my work cut out for me because there's a lot of good players on that leaderboard."
Browne, who led by two strokes after matching the tournament's low first-round score, had a double-bogey and a bogey but added five birdies - including 3s on the two closing par 4s. He was at 9-under 133 at Inverness, which has hosted four U.S. Opens, two PGA Championships, a U.S. Amateur and the 2003 U.S. Senior Open.
Inverness, famous as the first club to officially welcome pros to compete at a U.S. Open in 1920, is growing on Browne.
"I hadn't played here before," he said after completing his second round under cloudy skies. "I wasn't here for the PGAs and I wasn't 50 in '03. It's just a really cool layout. I love the way the holes are framed. I love how the greens are set up."
No wonder he likes it so much: He's been tearing it up.
Then again, he played a course softened by 4 inches of rain in the last week. The forecast calls for high heat and humidity the next two days, which could turn greens that have been balky into glass.
O'Meara, winner of the 1998 Masters and British Open, escaped a couple of shots that were offline to remain on Browne's heels. He made a slight change in his swing on Tuesday after flying home from the Senior British Open the previous day.
"I've got to be committed to go ahead and make sure I'm aggressive through the ball," he said, as if reminding himself. "Today when I did it right, I hit a lot of quality shots. But there were a couple of times I hit wayward ones."
Mark Calcavecchia (67), Joey Sindelar (66) and Michael Allen (69) were at 135. Peter Senior (67) was three shots behind Browne, with Corey Pavin (69), Trevor Dodds (69) and Kiyoshi Murota (69) at 137.
There's no real secret to winning a major, said Calcavecchia, who won the 1989 British Open.
"You can't make big, big numbers on the weekend," said Calcavecchia, in his second full year on the Champions Tour. "It's not like it's rocket science or noon news. Doubles or triple (bogeys) are never good, no matter what day you make them. But especially on the weekend of a major."
He set the stage for the final two rounds by playing bogey-free with four birdies.
A 2-hour, 45-minute rain delay in the morning prevented the last seven threesomes from finishing the second round. Play was suspended by darkness, with those left on the course to return early Saturday morning.
Among the other household names within six shots of the lead were John Huston, Larry Nelson, Jeff Sluman, Jay Haas, Nick Price, Steve Pate, Tom Kite, Bernhard Langer and Russ Cochran, the winner of last week's Senior British Open.
Browne said after the opening round that leading the tournament didn't mean much with three rounds left. Then he went out and played well enough to hold onto the top spot.
He was level par through his first 16 holes, but then hit a 6-iron from 185 yards to 5 feet at 17 for birdie. At the final hole, he hit a big drive which left him only 86 yards to the green. His wedge came to rest 6 feet from the hole before he hit another short putt.
The 52-year-old, who lives in Florida, hasn't won a tournament since the 2005 Deutsche Bank Championship. His other PGA Tour victories came at the 1998 Travelers and 1999 Colonial.
He is winless in 50 starts on the senior circuit, although he started this year with five top-10s finishes.
But he feels like he has an ally in Inverness.
Allen and Sindelar, among the last players to conclude the second round before darkness fell, took different routes to the same 36-hole score. Allen pulled even at 9 under with Browne only to bogey two of the final three holes. Sindelar, who played his collegiate golf at Ohio State, birdied the last two holes in a 66 that matched the low round of the day.
"In the middle of that back nine, you hang, you hang, and you try to get to a place where you get close enough to have something happen," Sindelar said.
The top of the leaderboard is packed with players who have captured major championships before turning 50: Pavin (1995 U.S. Open), Jones (1996 U.S. Open), Nelson (1981 and '83 PGA Championships, '83 U.S. Open), Sluman (1988 PGA), Price (1992 and '94 PGA, '94 British Open), Langer (1985 and '93 Masters) and Kite (1992 U.S. Open).
Price, six shots back after a 69, isn't conceding anything.
"I'm looking forward to the weekend now," he said. "That is the best I've played out of the last five rounds. I'm going to have to shoot low on the weekend, but if I hit the ball like I did today I've got a chance."
So do a lot of others.

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DE JONGE AND SIMPSON SHARE GREENBRIER CLASSIC LEAD

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, West Virginia (AP) — Brendon de Jonge rode a wave of Hokie fever to a share of the second-round lead at the Greenbrier Classic.
De Jonge shot a 3-under-par 67 Friday and was tied with Webb Simpson at 7 under midway through the tournament.
Among those failing to advance to weekend play were Phil Mickelson, whose streak of making 17 straight cuts ended, and defending champion Stuart Appleby. Both finished 3 over, missing the cut by two strokes.
With shouts of encouragement all around him, de Jonge, a former Virginia Tech golfer, is flourishing for the second straight year at The Greenbrier resort, less than two hours from his college stomping grounds.
"It's a little bit of adrenaline," de Jonge said. "Keeps you going. It's always a little pick-me-up if you're struggling a little bit. It's fun. It's nice to hear 'Go Hokies' on every tee."
De Jonge has played the Old White TPC course many times and he finished third in last year's inaugural tournament at 17 under. It was one of three third-place finishes in 2010 that helped him earn a career-best $2.2 million.
The native of Zimbabwe is the tour leader in birdies, yet admits he needs to work on eliminating the bogeys. His only one Friday was a three-putt on No. 11.
"I think the biggest thing is just getting out of my own way," de Jonge said. "It's very, very difficult to win out here. It's difficult to win anywhere. Staying in your own routine, I guess, is the best way to put it."
Simpson couldn't get any momentum going until he made three birdies on the back nine and shot 68.
The former Wake Forest University golfer is playing less than five hours from his old campus. He grew up in North Carolina and moved to Charlotte earlier this year.
His own cheering section will get a bit bigger on Saturday.
"I told my wife today I'm going to go out and be in the lead, so you've got to come for the weekend," Simpson said.
Both Simpson and de Jonge are chasing their first career victories. The tournament champion will earn a spot in next week's Bridgestone Invitational.
Like last year, when Appleby came from a seven-stroke deficit and shot 59 in the final round to win, it's anyone's tournament. Thirty-five players were within five shots of the lead entering the third round.
Simpson and de Jonge were the only two of the top 10 from the first round to break par in the second. The cut was three shots higher than last year.
First-round leader Trevor Immelman made just two birdies, shot 70 and was at 6 under.
Looking for his first win since the 2008 Masters and less than two years removed from wrist surgery, Immelman isn't thinking about how far he has come if he can advance to Bridgestone.
"It would be fantastic," he said. "And I'd love to be there. But (it's) the furthest thing from my mind."
Tied at 5 under were Scott Stallings (65), Michael Letzig (66), Gary Woodland (70), Brian Davis (64) and Derek Lamely (70). Lamely was tied for the lead before a stretch of three bogeys and a double-bogey over seven holes.
Canadian Chris Baryla made five birdies in an eight-hole stretch in his morning round to rocket to the top of the leaderboard at 8 under, then made triple-bogey on the par-4 sixth. He shot 69 and was in a group of six at 4 under.
Australian Steven Bowditch moved to 6 under after an early birdie, but had a double-bogey and three bogeys on his final four holes to fall to even par.
NOTES: Brett Wetterich eagled the par-4 first hole to help him advance to the weekend at even par. ... Garrett Willis had six birdies in his round but made the cut on the line after needing three shots to get out of a fairway bunker on the par-4 11th and making an 8. ... Chris Kirk, who had his tour-best streak of 10 straight below-par rounds snapped with a 71 on Thursday, started another one with a 69 Friday. ... Aberdeen-born Australian Michael Sim's back luck this season continued: he withdrew before the second round with a shoulder injury. Michael Putnam withdrew during the round with an injured wrist.

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