The Maumelle Classic is poised to crown a first-time champion.
Stafford Gray of Lonoke shot 2-under-par 70 on a breezy, sticky Saturday afternoon to maintain a narrow advantage over Ryan Spurlock entering today's third and final round at Maumelle Country Club.
Gray, the first-round leader, is at 7-under-par 137, one stroke better than Spurlock, who shot 68 in the second round on his home course.
Long-hitting Austin Harmon, a former Bryant High School and Central Baptist College standout, is third at 4-under 140 after a spectacular 30 on the back nine Saturday that featured six birdies.
Harmon, who was paired with Gray, closed with four consecutive birdies to also shoot 70.
Gray (four birdies and two bogeys) could have built a much larger advantage entering the final round, but failed to capitalize on solid ball striking and needed 32 putts to negotiate the approximately 7,100-yard layout.
Gray missed five birdie putts inside 15 feet on the front nine after birdieing his first two holes for the second consecutive day.
"My speed was a little off today," said Gray, 32, a former player and assistant coach at Oklahoma City University. "The greens were good. I left myself in that 12- to 15-foot range, where you hit a good putt and it's a foot by. But all my good putts were about a foot short today."
Gray began Saturday with a three-shot lead over four players, including Spurlock and Harmon, after shooting 5-under 67 in Friday's first round.
Gray quickly moved to 7 under after birdieing his opening two holes. He had two-putt pars on his next nine holes before falling to 5 under with bogeys on No. 12 and No. 13.
Gray rebounded with birdies on No. 14 and No. 16, a 384-yard par 4, after he stuck his short approach shot to 2 ½ feet.
"It was a good comeback, a good bounce back," Gray said.
Spurlock, the 2017 Great American Conference Freshman of the Year at Arkansas Tech, said he was pleased with his 4-under 68, which featured six birdies and two bogeys.
"I got it to 5 under on the back nine, but I had a couple of bad breaks," Spurlock said. "I had a good crowd behind me. Good mojo."
Spurlock tied for second in last year's Maumelle Classic, among the state's most prestigious amateur events. Harmon lost in a playoff in 2014 and tied for third in 2015. Gray tied for 14th in 2015.
A.J. Kroeger of Jefferson City, Mo., shares the lead in the Super Senior Division (64 and older) at 1-under-par 143. Kroeger won the inaugural Maumelle Classic in 1973, said Cary Maddox, Maumelle Country Club's PGA head professional.
Sports on 07/23/2017