Simmons Takes Lead After Round 2 at 117th Texas Amateur presented by Hytera US
Brooks Simmons of Dallas seized the lead at the conclusion of Round 2 of the 117th Texas Amateur presented by Hytera US, surging up the leaderboard with a 5-under 66 to reach 7-under for the tournament.
Simmons, who comes into the Texas Amateur off his freshman season at the University of Texas, teed off at 10:51 a.m. sitting just one stroke behind the leaders. The Dallas native made quick work of his second round, carding a birdie on No. 2 and an eagle on No. 6 — the drivable par 4 over a ravine. After the eagle, Simmons dropped a shot on No. 7 following a bogey on the 183-yard par 3, but he answered right back with a birdie on No. 8, a par 5 that features a blind tee shot before players decide whether to go for it in two or lay up.
Entering the back nine, Simmons played some of the most consistent golf of the day, carding birdies on Nos. 10, 14 and 17. A bogey on No. 18 closed out his round, but he still walked into the clubhouse with the lead over a stacked leaderboard.
Simmons, a former Byron Nelson Junior Championship champion with the Legends Junior Tour, is now in position to become just the second player in history to win both the prestigious junior event and the Texas Amateur. Former University of Texas golfer Charlie Holland is the only player to have accomplished the feat, winning the Byron Nelson Junior Championship in 2004 and the Texas Amateur at Whispering Pines Golf Club in 2007.
Tied for second and chasing Simmons are LSU commit Austin Randall of Prosper, Pepperdine golfer Byungho Lee, Nebraska golfer Nicholas Canales and Texas State golfer Rhett O’Rear of Plano. The group all carded matching 3-under 68s in the second round, a testament to just how tight the leaderboard is — and what it takes to separate from the field.
Right behind that pack, John Beringer of San Antonio, Andrew Paysse of Temple and Evan Rohde of Houston remain tied for sixth heading into the final round.
Rounding out the top 10 are Christian Clark of Dallas, Spanish Oaks Golf Club member Daniel Martinez of Austin, 99th Texas Junior Amateur Boys Division champion and Jacksonville State golfer Tyler Neidel, and University of Texas golfer Matthew Comegys.
Host club member Martinez tied Simmons for the round of the day, climbing 34 spots on the leaderboard behind his 5-under 66.
No. 9 played as the toughest hole of Round 2. The 471-yard par 4 features a tee shot that fights uphill before the Hill Country terrain levels out for the remainder of the hole. It yielded just six birdies in Round 2, along with 68 pars, 50 bogeys and 12 double bogeys.
Fifty-nine players made the cut to advance to the weekend.
As the 117th Texas Amateur presented by Hytera US heads into the final round, players will look to elevate their game to not only claim the H.L. Edwards Trophy, but also earn a spot in a major USGA championship. The Texas Amateur is in its third consecutive year as a USGA exemption event, with this year’s champion earning a direct exemption into the 126th U.S. Amateur at historic Merion Golf Club.
To view results from Round 2, click here. To learn more about the 117th Texas Amateur presented by Hytera US, click here.