Three years ago, Michael Gligic last found himself in the winner’s circle at a Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada event.
That summer the Burlington, Ont. native captured the ATB Financial Classic en route to a second-place finish on the end-of-season Order of Merit.
He’s put himself in position to do it again, shooting a five-under 67 at Whitewater Golf Club on Friday to take the clubhouse lead by one stroke over Minnesota’s Clayton Rask and Canadian Corey Conners at the Staal Foundation Open with a two-day 131 total.
There’s still plenty of work to do, Gligic cautioned after a bogey-free round, a day after saying he couldn’t afford to let his foot off the gas.
“I hit the ball great again today. I gave myself lots of looks and converted some of them. I had a few birdie putts that lipped out today. I had a few good looks early in my round – one, two, four and six – all inside 15 feet. Just none of them were going in,” said Gligic, one of the first golfers off the course on Day 2, which started off hazy and overcast, but turned to sunshine and humid temperatures by early afternoon.
“I just had to stay positive and they ended up going in later in the round.”
Gligic had two birdies on the front added three more on the back, taking the lead on 17.
Minutes earlier Rask, who equaled Gligic’s 67, missed a short birdie putt on 18 that would have tied him atop the leaderboard.
All in all the veteran golfer had few complaints about his round.
He gave full credit to his flat stick for his success through 36 holes.
“Yeah, I’m putting really well,” he said. “Tee to green, if I’m getting a wedge in my hand it’s pretty close most of the time. I had a lot of burnt edges today. It could have been a different story,” Rask said.
“(I had) one brain dead mistake on seven. I completely forgot it was downhill, hit it way too hard and bogeyed that one. But other than that it was a good day. There’s a couple of things I have to work on with my swing, but overall I’m happy with it.”
Rask, 33rd on the money list, said it’s been the little things that have kept him from putting four solid rounds together this summer. He’s got one top 10 finish in four start, but nothing higher than 32nd in any other tournament he’s entered.
“It’s been close, and when it happens, it’s going to be fun.”
Conners, who played in this year's Masters tournament, needs a solo 20th or better finish to earn exempt status on tour for the remainder of the season.
"I guess having status would be pretty nice," said Conners, playing on a sponsor's exemption, as he will next week in the RBC Canadian Open. He shot a seven-under 65 on Friday.
"I'm not even really sure what I need to do to do that, but I'll try to play well and see what happens."
American’s Mike Van Sickle and Matt Marshall, who shared the overnight lead after Round 1, are tied for third at 11-under.
Marshall shot 69 while Van Sickle went one better at 68.
Top round of the day went to Sweden’s Krister Eriksson, who broke the course record with a 10-under 62, beating the old mark of 64, tied twice on Thursday and originally set by Robbie Untinen.
“Today was good. It was good from hole No 1 for me, pretty much. I started rolling some putts. I played really good yesterday too. I hit the ball very well, but today they dropped.”
Eriksson shot 73 on Thursday.
Americans Jason Millard and J.J. Spaun are tied for sixth at 10-under par.
Former NHLer Marc Savard withdrew mid-round with a forearm injury.
