Maumelle Classic

Reynolds stays steady, leads by 2

On a warm, windy day in Maumelle, the leader found the secret.

Tyler Reynolds relied on a steady run of pars to take a two-stroke lead after two rounds of the Maumelle Classic at Maumelle Country Club on Saturday. He shot a 1-under par 71 to improve to 3 under for the tournament. D.J. Godoy is in second at 1 under, and Austin Harmon in third at even.

The three leaders will play in the final group for the second consecutive day in today's final round.

"When we started I thought one of these guys would probably shoot 4 or 5 under today," Reynolds said. "But we got out there and it was so hard, I just thought, 'Make par and you'll probably be leading.' "

Reynolds, a redshirt sophomore at UALR, Godoy, and Harmon were tied at 2-under par after the first round, but Harmon took the lead midway through the front nine on Saturday. He birdied Nos. 3, 4, and 7. A bogey at 8 left him at 4 under for the tournament with a two-stroke lead.

Then Harmon, a sophomore at Central Baptist College in Conway, teed of at No. 10. His hybrid shot sailed far right, deep into a hazard. A three-minute search through thick undergrowth turned up three balls -- all expensive -- but none his. He ended up with a triple-bogey seven.

"I just flubbed my tee shot," Harmon said. "And then I didn't hit a good second shot. I didn't hit a good third shot either, or a fourth shot. After that hole, and then No. 11 and 12, I was just trying to make birdies, hit the green and be happy with it."

Harmon double-bogeyed No. 11, and bogeyed 12 to drop to 2 over. His only consolation were the three Titleist Pro V1s he pulled from the hazard. He would laugh two hours later after he signed his scorecard.

"They're $5 every ball, so why not pick them up?" Harmon said.

Harmon's playing partners proceeded at a steady gait through the 93-degree afternoon, as wind blew from the south at 20 mph, with gusts approaching 30.

Reynolds took the lead with a birdie at the 200-yard, par-3 13th, but Godoy, a freshman at Arkansas Tech from Hideaway, Texas, hit fairway after fairway to remain close.

"He was hitting it down the middle every time, while me and Austin were looking for our balls on every hole," Reynolds said.

Godoy's 280-yard drive on the par-5 15th landed in the middle of the fairway. His 3-wood from 250 yards rolled to within 3 feet of the pin, and he sunk the putt for eagle.

"Those were great shots," Harmon said. "Those were two of the best shots put together on that hole that I've ever seen."

Reynolds and Harmon each birdied 15, and the threesome managed to maintain their momentum through the 18th. Harmon played the final six holes in 2 under after going 6 over on Nos. 10-11-12.

"I wish I had had the finish that [Harmon] had," Godoy said.

"The back nine is brutal," Harmon said. "You're just trying to make par."

Sports on 07/27/2014

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