News

St. Albans, MO - Day two of the 36th Metropolitan Amateur was a sodden one at the Country Club of St. Albans. When the day began, rain was right around the corner and it wasn’t long before it arrived. The rain continued to pour down the rest of the morning into midday. Play for Round 2 started at 7:15 a.m. with players going off on both Hole 1 and Hole 10. Ryan Sullivan, Brad Carpenter, Jarrett James, and Justin Bryant enter the day tied for the lead at five-under par.

The first five groupings of the day on each side of the course teed off and were getting into the groove of their round when electricity made its way into the area. At 8:09 a.m., the horns were blown to suspend play. Players that were on the course were shuttled in and all players, caddies, spectators, staff, and volunteers took shelter as the rain chucked down.  

For the next few hours, the course was battered with nonstop rain. Finally, around noon we were given the all clear from the weather and the course checks were complete to green light resumption of play. Players were shuttled back out to the course and play was resumed at 1:00 p.m.  

Following the nearly 5 hour delay, players were back in action. Jarrett James of the SIGA eClub was one of the players who had begun his round when the delay hit. It was an up and down day for James that left him falling back two strokes to a total of three-under (-3) par. Conner McCall of Vandalia Country Club also made it onto the course prior to the delay. McCall had five birdies across his round for a second round of two-under. With a total of five-under (-5) McCall snuck into the tie at the top.  

Justin Bryant of St. Louis Country Club was still warming up for the day when the horn blew. After waiting five hours to begin, Bryant opened his round with a birdie and stayed bogey free through 12. This 30 hole bogey free streak had him moving up into the solo lead for much of his round. Two missteps on the back left the past champion to settle for a second round score of even par. Bryant ended the day where he started - in a tie for first at five-under (-5) par.  

Players on the course knew that another batch of weather was eminent as the day grew into the evening. They raced to get their round in to avoid another weather delay that would cause them yet another early rise to complete it. The final group of the day finished just in the nick of time as a lightening bolt streaked across the sky as they exited the final scoring area and were headed for the parking lot.  

When the weather delay continued to push back the time of play, the decision was made to have the morning wave complete their round this afternoon, while the original afternoon wave would be delayed until Saturday morning. Rounds for the second wave will begin at 7:15 a.m. Saturday morning. Following the conclusion of Round 2, the field will be cut and repaired to go back out on the course for the final round in the afternoon. With half of the field still to play their second round, the lead remains at five-under par with Conner McCall and Justin Bryant finished and Ryan Sullivan and Brad Carpenter still to play.