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LIVE SCORING | GROUPINGS AND TEE TIMES

Lake St. Louis, MO – 36 holes down, 18 to go in the 16th World Wide Technology Metropolitan Open Championship at Lake Forest Country Club. Four share the lead at 137 (-7) overall. The field was cut to low 40 and ties after Friday’s second round.

Erik Edwards had the low round of the tournament Friday afternoon, firing a 5-under 67. The Louisville, Kentucky native is tied for the lead in birdies with 12, carding six each day, and had one of four eagles in the field on the day at the par 5 18th to close his round and grab a share of the lead. Edwards shot 2-under 70 the first day, and is one of only seven in the field to shoot 2-under or better both rounds.

“I’ve been hitting it pretty well the last couple days,” Edwards said. “I’ve been hitting irons and wedges really well, been putting well, I really just need to focus on my decision making out there and that’s my main goal tomorrow.”

Edwards will be in the final group with Michael Davan tomorrow morning going off at 10:40 a.m.

Davan turned in a 4-under 68 with six birdies and two bogeys. The Zionsville, Indiana native is tied for the tournament lead in birdies with 12. Davan is one of three in the field to be in the 60s both rounds, going 69-68–137.

“I’ve putted it really well, I made some longer putts today,” Davan said. “I’ve done a really good job of distance out of the rough and short game has been key. Tomorrow I’m just going to keep doing the same thing I’ve been doing the last couple days.”

Seth Fair played consistent golf for the second straight day, carding a 4-under 68 with four birdies and no bogeys. He’s tied for second in total pars with 26. The defending champion has gone 69-68–137 and will be in the next to last group tomorrow looking to make it back-to-back.

“Ball-striking was spot on today,” Fair said. “I maybe missed one or two fairways and one or two greens. I took care of all the par 5s and I hit a lot of good shots in just didn’t get a lot of putts to fall. Hopefully tomorrow we’ll be a little bit more dialed in with the reads, that’s what I’ve been struggling with.”

Gabriel Lench, in the last group of the day, fired a 3-under 69 to grab a share of the lead and get into the next to last group with Fair. Lench, who plays out of Sanford, Florida, went bogey-free 4-under his last eight holes including back-to-back birdies on holes 14 and 15. He joins Fair and Gavan as the only three in the field to fire both rounds in the 60s, going 68-69. Lench had his sixth hole-in-one in his life on the par 3 2nd yesterday.

“Mental toughness was key, I was 1-over after 10 and made a big up and down on No. 11 from the left rough,” Lench said. “I told myself if I can make three of four birdies coming in I could get myself back in it and I went on a stretch. I stayed confident and told myself back of the cup every putt.”

Wesley Hunter is in fifth place alone just two back of the lead at 5-under overall after a 3-under 69 Friday. Kaylor Steger and Brad Fritsch are at 4-under overall, three back of the leaders.

Fifteen players are within six shots of the lead.

Curtis Brokenbrow (70-74–144, E) and Nick Westrich (71-76–147, +3) were the only Amateurs to make the cut.

Final round gets underway Saturday morning with the first tee time at 7:00 a.m.

Live scoring and groupings and tee times are available through Golf Genius with the GGID EBQXAU.

For updates throughout the tournament, follow MAGA on Twitter @MetAmateurGA.

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