Canadian Tour - Packed Leaderboard In South Surrey

Submitted by CanTour Communications John Berkovich

SOUTH SURREY, B.C., - Kent Eger shot a five under par 67 to climb into the share of the lead at seven under par with Derek Gillespie, Greg McAuley and Mike Grob at the City of Surrey Invitational.

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Jose de Jesus Rodriguez (70), Brad Heaven (67), Yohann Benson (69), Andres Gonzales (70), Ryan Thornberry (71), and Graham DeLaet and James Lepp – both of whom shot 69 – are one stroke back.

J.C. Deacon (67), Scott Gibson (69), Wes Heffernan (69), Barrett Jarosch (73), and Liam Kendregan with a 66, are lurking two shots behind on a packed leaderboard.

McAuley, playing on a sponsor’s exemption after losing his card last year and unable to regain it earlier this season, is making the most of the opportunity after a flawless 66 on Friday.

“I live ten minutes from the golf course and finagled a sponsor invite to get into the tournament,” he said.

“I hit it well today but couldn’t make anything on my front nine, but the putter got hot and I made three in a row to start my second nine.

“The longest I made was a 20-footer at my eleventh but most of them were from close in.

“This is the kind of course that you are using your wedges a lot and I was able to make some nice up and downs.”

Unlike yesterday, Gillespie couldn’t get much going on his round, scattering three birdies and three bogeys across his card.

“It was kind of a boring round. I made a couple of nice shots and was rolling the ball well, but I just didn’t make anything,” said Gillespie.

“I couldn’t get the feel I had yesterday and couldn’t get a hot streak going. At least I didn’t shoot myself out of the tournament and I’ve still got part of the lead.”

Eger birdied the second and then drained four straight starting at the fifth hole to move to seven under for the tournament. Bogeying nine, the Regina, Sask., native got it right back at eleven before trading a birdie and bogey at sixteen and seventeen.

Grob, like Gillespie, had an off day; making just one birdie (at his tenth) against seventeen pars but it was enough to give him a share of the lead.

A group of 78 players made the cut at even par 144.

In the Clubhouse
Andres Gonzales made a hole in one at No. 16 to move into a share of the lead before bogeying the final hole.