Tennessee’s Bryce Lewis Remains Atop Northeast Amature After Day Two

By Dalton Balthaser

Bryce Lewis was firing on all cylinders when he shot an opening round of 63 to grab first round lead in the 59th Northeast Amateur Invitational.

Thursday’s second round was far from perfect.

“I could have shot 2 over or 2 under today,” said Lewis, 21, of Hendersonville, Tenn. “I just need to keep my head up and stay patient.”

Lewis’ driver kept him in it, leading him to a round of even par at Wannamoisett Country Club (par 69, 6,728 yards).

“Today was a grind,” said Lewis, a rising senior at the University of Tennessee. “I struck the ball as well as I did yesterday. The hole locations were in some tricky places. I had plenty of good chances, I just didn’t make them.”

Lewis holds a two-shot lead over Pepperdine University rising junior Dylan Menante who sits at 4 under after a second round of 66.

The host club’s Davis Chatfield, a rising senior at the University of Notre Dame, is the low local in a tie for eighth at 1 under.

Lewis got off to another hot start. Starting on the back nine he birdied Nos. 12 (par 3, 212 yards) and 14 (par 4, 365 yards). He hit a 4-iron on a rope to eight feet on No. 12 and canned a 20-foot slider on No. 14.

But the remaining 13 holes were a challenge. Not because he was struggling off the tee, but because he couldn’t get any putts to fall.

Potential disaster awaited him on his final hole of the day, No. 9 (par 4, 453 yards). After hitting his drive behind a tree in the right rough, he pitched out into the first fairway. His wedge shot missed the green and he hit a poor chip, leaving a 15-footer with horseshoe break for bogey. He canned it.

“Rolling in that 15-foot slider was icing on the cake,” said Lewis, who recently made the PING All-Region team in the Southeast. “I was prepared to take my round of 1 over and move on. That was a nice putt to see fall. Mentally, I feel strong. I am playing smart golf on a hard golf course, and it has worked out so far. When you don’t have your best, you must play conservatively.

“It is hard to follow up a great round with another one. It is especially hard to do when the course plays much harder as it did today. I am in a great position after the first two rounds. I am not trying to win the tournament, it’ll come naturally if I stick to my game plan and continue to manage my ball.”

Menante’s game has been put to the test recently. He and his teammates at Pepperdine just captured the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship. The second in school history.

“Winning the National Championship this year was unbelievable,” said Menante, 20, who made the PING All-Region team in the West. “I wasn’t expecting it because we were all nervous. Our coaches built up our team for that moment. It’s a feeling I can’t describe.”

Playing in his first #NortheastAm, Menante has warmed to Wannamoisett quite quickly. He’s caught fire on the greens similar to the course he plays at back home in Carlsbad, Calif.

“I love it here at Wannamoisett,” said Menante. “This course tests each part of your game. I love the layout so much.”

Menante carded a total of six birdies on his card. None more important than the back-to-back variety on Nos. 13 (par 4, 352 yards) and 14.

Coming off a momentum-killing bogey on No. 11 (par 4, 405 yards), Menante hit a 58-degree wedge from 80 yards to 20 feet on No. 13 and rolled in a 25-footer on No. 14. Those birdies he said help him reset.

“I need to keep calm and be patient,” said Menante. “I am doing something right, so I am not going to change a thing. If I continue to make putts, I feel good about my game.”

Notes

Illinois rising junior Jerry Ji made an ace on the eighth at Wannamoisett. He holed a 5-iron from 186 yards for his second career ace.