Californian Tain Lee takes halfway lead at Staal Foundation Open

OLIVER PAIPOONGE -- Tain Lee put up an early score, and try as they might, the rest of the field couldn’t catch him.

Playing in the third-to-last threesome in the morning groupings, the San Juan Capistrano, Calif. native strung together five birdies in a row as he made the turn, starting with the par 5 18th, and posted a sparkling bogey-free  six-under 66 to take the halfway lead at the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada’s Staal Foundation Open.

Lee’s two-day 135 total earned him a two-shot lead over American Daniel Miernicki’s whose seven-under 65 was the low round of the day, and Canadian Riley Wheeldon, who shot 69 on Day 2. 

Lee, a veteran of the Web.com Tour, had made just two cuts in five attempts on the Mackenzie Tour this summer, but said he got it going in Round 2.

“I made five birdies in a row, I think. But it kind of felt like one after another,” Lee said. “Obviously yesterday the conditions were brutal, really tough. Today there’s not much wind, the greens are still soft, there’s not much wind and we have ball-in-hand this week.

“I just felt like someone was going to go really low, kind of pedal to the medal, try to birdie every hole. But the scores aren’t as low as I thought they’d be so far.”

Miernicki, winner of last year’s ATB Financial Classic, started on No. 10 and birdied five of his final seven holes on his opening nine and added a pair of red numbers on his back nine.

“I just hit it quite a few times really close and that kind of led to the lower score,” Miernicki said.

A low round is just what he needed to find a bit of confidence heading into the weekend.

“The first two rounds, obviously you’re just trying to make the weekend and put yourself as close as you can,” he said. “I’m what, a couple of shots back?

“That’s right where you want to be.”

Wheeldon, who held the clubhouse lead for a time on Thursday, had a steady trip around the Whitewater Golf Club track on Friday, but will have to shake off a disappointing bogey on his second-to-last hole, the par 3 eighth.

The B.C. native wasn’t thrilled with his round, sensing scoring conditions were ripe to go low. But he’ll take a T2 any day.

“I’m happy with the position I’m in. I didn’t play very good. I didn’t drive it very well, but I’m happy with my short game. That saved me a few times out there, which is nice … but I’ve got to go to the range and work on driver and three wood.

Six golfers are another shot back in fourth, including first-round leader James Erkenbeck, Taylor Moore, T.J. Vogel and Logan McCracken of the United States, Canada's Austin Connelly and England’s David Skinns, who had 5-under 67.

Former NHLer Grant Fuhr, playing on a sponsor's exemption, carded an 11-over 83 to finish his week at 24-over 168. He wasn’t too worried about his performance.

“I had a great time. I hit the ball all right, I chipped great and I putted – awful is a good word for it.”

Round three goes Saturday.