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PLYMOUTH, Mass. (September 27, 2006) – Rob Oppenheim of Andover, Mass., shot a 3-under par 69 on Wednesday to maintain his one-shot lead following the second round of the New England Pro Golf Tour’s Pinehills Open.
Oppenheim, the 2005 Tour Player of the Year, birdied five holes, including three of the par-5s at Pinehills Golf Club’s Jones Course, and will be seeking his first Tour title of the season and third of his career in Thursday’s final round.
Kyle Roberts of Cromwell, Conn., who shot a career-best 67, is one shot behind at 8-under par and will be chasing his first professional victory. Marc Lawless of Aptos, Calif., trails by two, while Denny Rasku of Deerfield Beach, Fla., and Jim Hallet of South Yarmouth, Mass., trail by four.
The three-day, 54-hole Pinehills Open is the 10th stop on the New England Pro Golf Tour’s 2006 schedule and features a number of former PGA Tour professionals, as well as some of golf’s rising stars, competing for a purse of nearly $100,000.
Tour money leader Geoffrey Sisk of Marshfield, Mass., shot a second straight 70 and is five shots behind, while Jim Renner of Plainville, Mass., shot 69 and stands joint 12th in his professional debut.
The big surprise, however, is Roberts, the 23-year-old who graduated from Florida Southern earlier this year. He had broken par just once in 17 rounds this season, but has done it consecutively at Pinehills and will play with Oppenheim in Thursday’s final pairing.
Roberts hit 15 of 18 greens on Wednesday and is 7-under par on the par-5s for the tournament.
“I feel like everything’s been moving in this direction,’’ said Roberts, who had missed the cut in five events and withdrew from another. “It’s nice to see my name up on the leaderboard. Hopefully, this is going to be the first big event of my pro career.’’
Oppenheim has had plenty of big events in his career – but is still looking for his first big one of the year on the New England Pro Golf Tour. He has three top-five finishes, including a runner-up at the Blackstone Open. But he’s chasing his first victory since the 2005 season-opener at Atkinson Resort & Country Club.
Following the Pinehills Open, the Tour heads to Twisted Dune in Egg Harbor Township, N.J., Oct. 3-5 for the Greater Atlantic City Open – the final event on the Tour’s 2006 schedule.