Eckroat, a sophomore on the Oklahoma State from Edmond, Okla., posted his second round under-par to take a three-stroke lead into the final 36-holes; Washington State Golf Association wins Morse Cup team competition by a single-stroke.
PACIFIC COAST GOLF ASSOCIATION (San Francisco, Calif.) - Austin Eckroat, of Edmond, Okla., started right where he left off after round one, posting a four-under-par 67 in round two action to take a three-stroke lead into the final 36 holes at The Olympic Club.
Eckroat got off to a tremendous start, making birdie on his first two holes to get into the red numbers early.
With birdie on the sixth hole to get it to three-under on the day and nine-under overall, Eckroat was in total cruise control.
He would make a single bogey on the day at the iconic par-3 eighth to post a front-nine 33. After making another two birdies coming in, Eckroat would become the only player to reach double digits under par for the tournament at 10-under (65-67-132).
Trailing Eckroat by three shots is Scarsdale, New York's Brandon Wu. Wu, a member of the Stanford men's golf team and a late entry into the event, has posted rounds of 67-68 (135; -7). Wu has made only a single bogey during the first two rounds and it came on his final hole of today's second round.
William Gordon of Davidson, North Carolina, sits four strokes behind Eckroat at -6 (67-69-136) and will round out the final group tomorrow during round three.
Sitting well within reach to make a strike for Eckroat's lead are Winter Garden, Fla. native Andy Zhang (67-70-137; -5) and five players at -4, including local favorite and one of the three lead Californians, Shintaro Ban of San Jose.
After getting off to a modest start yesterday at even-par, Ban popped off a four-under-par 67 (71-67-138; -4) to get into contention with two rounds to go in the 72-hole stroke play competition.
With plenty of golf left to play, the leaderboard is jam packed with exceptional local and international talent. There are 23 players sitting below par. All in attendance are waiting for the other shoe to drop at the famed and notoriously brutal Lake Course, a reality that will no doubt be realized over the final push of the event.
In the team competition, the trio from the Washington State Golf Association (WSGA), captured the Morse Cup trophy by a single stroke. Team members Reid Hatley (Hayden Lake, Idaho), Joe Highsmith (Lakewood, Wash.) and Eric Ansett (Spokane, Wash.) became the first team from the WSGA to win the 36-hole team competition since 2009.
In a tight race, the WSGA needed a par-saving, 15-foot downhill sliding putt from Highsmith on 18 to capture the title. Stepping up with complete confidence, Highsmith calmly poured it into the heart of the hole with onlookers cheering.
The runner-up team in arguably the toughest competitive field in Pacific Coast Amateur history for team play, was from the host Northern California Golf Association.
Round three will begin tomorrow at 7:30am. A cut to the low 70 players and ties will take place following tomorrow's round.
Held on an annual basis since 1967, with roots dating back to 1901, the Pacific Coast Amateur Championship boasts a rich history of showcasing some of the most talented golfers in the United States and Canada.
Past champions of the Pacific Coast Amateur who have gone on to successful professional careers include PGA Tour winners Aaron Wise (2015), Billy Mayfair (1987, 1988), Jason Gore (1997) and Ben Crane (1998) as well as Web.com Tour winners Michael Putnam (2004) & Andrew Putnam (2010).
For more information on the championship, visit www.pacificcoastamateur.com.
For third round tee times and round two scores, please click here.
ABOUT THE PACIFIC COAST AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
The Pacific Coast Amateur Championship is one of the oldest and most prestigious amateur golf championships in North America. The first tournament was held on the links of San Francisco Golf Club at The Presidio in 1901. After being played until 1911, The Pacific Coast Amateur then ceased to exist, only to be reconstituted at Seattle Golf Club in 1967. Today, 15 member Pacific Rim golf associations comprise the Pacific Coast Golf Association.
