 |
|||
|
|||
 |
|||
MONTREAL,QC (September 20, 2006) – Charlie Meola of Mamaroneck, N.Y., shot a 2-over par 72 on Thursday but increased his lead to three shots following the second round of the inaugural Bonjour Quebec – the New England Pro Golf Tour’s first international event.
Meola, a former club professional who is in his first full year as a touring pro, birdied three straight holes on the back nine to reach 2-under par overall and will be seeking his first New England Pro Golf Tour title in Thursday’s final round at Club de Golf I’lle de Montreal.
Three players are tied at 1-over par: Scott Hawley of Shrewsbury, Mass., Jim Hallet of South Yarmouth, Mass., and Andrew Svoboda of Mamaroneck, N.Y. Bryan Omelia of Cambridge, Mass., stands fifth at 2-over par. Montreal’s Julien Trudeau stands joint eighth at 4-over par.
“I feel like I’ve been on the verge of breaking through for probably the last year-and-a-half,’’ said Meola, who has a pair of top-five finishes in his last three starts. “I feel like I can win an event every time I tee it up. It would be nice to get that first victory.’’
The three-day, 54-hole tournament in Montreal is the ninth stop on the 2006 schedule for the New England Pro Golf our – the premier developmental golf tour in the country.
Trudeau, who shot 73 on Wednesday, was one of five players with Canadian ties to make the 36-hole cut. Matt McQuillan of Kingston, Ont., is 18th; Lee Curry of Kemptville, Ont., is 22nd; and Marc-Andre Roy of Blainville, Ont., and Brennan Webb of Bracebridge, Ont., are tied for 29th.
Tour money leader Geoffrey Sisk of Marshfield, Mass., is tied for 29th. Rob Oppenheim of Andover, Mass., who finished second on the Canadian Tour Order of Merit, stands 18th.
On a day when the average score was 76.78, Meola rebounded from a tough start to remain atop the leaderboard. He was 5-over par through 12 holes, including four straight bogeys on the front nine. But he had a tap-in birdie at his 13th and followed with two more.
“I was very happy to make the turn – kind of like a fresh start,’’ Meola said. “The golf course is playing so hard that I just tried to stay patient, and I was able to get a few shots back.’’
The 31-year-old was a club professional in New York after finishing at Westchester Community College but decided last year to take a shot at playing for a living.
So far this season, the results have been promising. Meola’s made five of seven cuts and his last three events include a fourth at Wintonbury Hills and a third – one shot out of a playoff – at Red Tail.
“I had always wanted to do it,’’ said Meola, who didn’t begin playing the game until he was 17. “I didn’t want to look back someday and regret not giving it a shot.’’
Following the Bonjour Quebec, the Tour heads to Pinehills Golf Course in Plymouth, Mass., Sept. 26-28 for the inaugural Pinehills Open.