Jim Rutledge leads at Champions Q-school
SCOTTSDALE, AZ – Canadian Jim Rutledge fired a 9-under-par 62 to open a two-stroke advantage over PGA TOUR veteran Gary Hallberg and Jeff Freeman after two rounds of the 2011 Champions Tour National Qualifying Tournament at TPC Scottsdale’s Champions Course. Rutledge stands at 12-under-par 130 at the par-71 layout.Everything went right on Wednesday for thenative of Victoria, BC. He played bogey-free golf for the second consecutive day and posted nine birdies in his round.
“My objective is to take advantage of the par-5s here because I can get to most all of them in two,” Rutledge said. “But I made some good putts today which you need to do when you have a round like this and I also had a nice chip-in for a birdie. Overall, it was a great round of golf and I’m happy with that.”
Rutledge got off to a good start by making birdies on three of his first five holes but it was his play on holes Nos. 13-17 which was impressive. He made back-to-back 25-foot birdies on Nos. 13 and 14 and chipped in from 40 feet for another birdie at No. 16 after making a five-footer for birdie at No. 15. His fifth straight birdie came at No. 17 when he two-putted from 40 feet.
“I just got on a nice run today,” he added. “I just like this golf course because it’s a lot of fun to play. You can really put up some numbers if you hit the ball well and start to make some putts.”
Rutledge finished 51st on the 2011 Champions Tour money list with $297,666. He had a pair of top-10 finishes, including a T6 at the Allianz Championship and a T10 at the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open. He owns numerous titles in Canada and represented his home country on two occasions in the World Cup.
Hallberg and Freeman will be among a dozen players within five strokes of the lead when third-round play begins on Thursday. Like Rutledge, Hallberg enjoyed a bogey-free round, finishing with a 6-under-par 65.
“I’m just trying to relax and have fun out here and enjoy the day and play like I’m playing with my buddies,” said Hallberg, a winner on all three Tours, including three on the PGA TOUR as well as the 2010 Ensure Classic at Rock Barn on the Champions Tour. “I’m swinging it well now and I’m also rolling the ball well. I’m just trying to stay out of my way.”
First-round leader Mike Harwood shook off the effects of four bogeys on Wednesday to finish with a 3-under-par 68. He is currently in fourth place, three behind Rutledge. He got off to a quick start with birdies on three of the first five holes, but then made successive bogeys on Nos. 6 and 7 and did so again on Nos. 11 and 12.
There will be no cut in the 72-hole qualifier. At the end of 72 holes, the top-5 finishers earn exempt status for the 2012 season until the reorder, while the next seven players will be conditionally exempt. In addition, the top 30 finishers and ties will be eligible to compete for spots in open qualifiers at all co-sponsored events on the Champions Tour in 2012.
2011 Champions Tour Q-School Notes:
* James Mason (No. 6) and Kirk Hanefeld (No. 13) each made a hole-in-one on Wednesday.
* Scottsdale resident Michael Allen, a member of the Champions Tour, is working as the caddie for his friend Kris Moe this week. Allen recently finished T2 at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in San Francisco.
* Should Jeff Freeman earn one of the five exempt spots available to the top-5 finishers here, he'll have to wait until April to compete on the Champions Tour since he does not turn 50 until April 15th next year. His brother, Robin, is also in this week's field and is currently T31.
*Former European Ryder Cup member (1993) Barry Lane is currently T17...A day after shooting a 5-under-par 65, 2010 Champions Tour Q-School medalist Keith Clearwater posted a 4-over-par 75 and fell from a T2 to T41.
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