RUMFORD — Some of the largest galleries in recent memory watched Wannamoisett win the day once again as the venerable golf course proved ever-challenging during the third round of the 52nd Annual Northeast Amateur Invitational on what was a pristine Friday, June 21.
Big-hitting Brazilian Rafael Becker remained atop the leader board. Becker had a relatively steady round going until he had a hiccup on the par 3, uphill 196-yard 15th hole. He carded a double-bogey five to slip to 1-over for the day. But he responded two holes later with a birdie on the par 5 17th and eventually finished the round where he started at 6-under, with a 201 total and the lead.
Second round co-leader Cameron Wilson, of Connecticut and Stanford, wasn’t as fortunate. He also suffered through a double-bogey Friday, his coming at the par 4 11th. He, too, though rebounded with a birdie at 17, but gave it right back to finish his day at 2-over, leaving him two back and in a share of second at 4-under, 203 total.
Wilson is tied with Patrick Rodgers and Cory Whitsett. Rodgers, of Avon, Ind., shot a 2-under 67 Friday while Whitsett, of Houston, shot an even-par 69.
Some of the world’s best young players, as they had the previous two days, vied in near idyllic conditions with significant pockets of fans in attendance at many holes. Temperatures hovered in the low 80s and the wind was minimal.
However, only 16 of 86 players broke par Friday. The day’s lowest score (5-under) was actually posted by a player, Blake Biddle of Illinois, who missed the three-round cut of the low 50 scorers and ties. Biddle shot rounds of 79 and 76 previously, finishing at 11-over and two more than plus-9 cut.
Among those others in contention, Georgia Tech junior Oliver Schniederjans raced up the leader board with his 4-under par round of 65 Friday. Schniederjans bogeyed the par 4 first hole and went out even before coming in with four birdies, including three in a row on holes 12-14.
Schniederjans enters the final day in a share of fifth place with Max Homa, Bo Andrews and Joseph Winslow at 1-under, 206. Winslow shot 3-under 66 Friday, Homa shot 2-under and Andrews 2-over, 71.
Brandon Hagy, Michael Weaver and Beau Hossler, the latter the young Californian who made a splash at the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic in San Francisco, share ninth place at even-par 207.
Coventry resident Bobby Leopold slipped down the standings Friday, shooting a 4-over 73 to finish his three rounds at 2-over 209 and in a share of 12th with Evan Beck of Virginia.
Metacomet’s Brad Valois was only other Rhode Islander to make the cut. The Warwick resident finished his third round in a share of 43rd at 8-over following a 3-over 72 Friday.
Wannamoisett’s own Charlie Blanchard shot 4-over Friday to miss the cut at 20-over total. Cam Andrade, the high school senior and son of Bristol’s Billy Andrade, shot 8-over Friday and finished his first foray into the Northeast field at 18-over.
For complete Northeast Amateur third round scoring and final round tee times click here…