Middle Brother: Dawson Armstrong with older brother Dowling (right)
and younger brother Davis (left)
by Yianni Gogonas
ATLANTA, Georgia (June 29, 2017) -- Play continued today in Atlanta, after a preemptive move in which Thursday’s tee times were pushed up due to impending rain. (And that rain came in sheets, albeit a little late, as anyone in Atlanta knows.)
Related: Dogwood Invitational Daily Video Coverage
Lipscomb University golfer
Dawson Armstrong was able to move into the top spot heading into Friday's third round. Armstrong, now 13-under-par for the tournament followed his 5-under 68 on Wednesday with a 7-under-par 65 in today’s second round, rallying to post a bogey-free 31 on the back nine.
The 2015 Dogwood champion has previously mentioned Druid Hills to be "his" course, and when asked what he meant by it, Armstrong said, “I guess it fits my game really well. I am confident in my game, and I know how much I have grown since then, and to have won it two years ago gives me confidence moving forward.”
The rain also forced tournament officials to starting half of the field off the 10th tee.
Chandler Eaton was one of the first to leave the 10th this morning. He caught fire quickly, posting a 6-under 30 in which only one of his six birdies required a putt over 10 feet (on the 15th).
The Duke freshman would find himself alone in first at 10-under-par for the tournament after beginning the day in a tie for thirteenth. Eaton made three birdies and two bogeys on his back nine to finish with a 7-under 65. He is currently two-back, in a three-way tie for second place with Clemson’s
Bryson Nimmer and
Andy Ogletree of Georgia Tech at 11-under-par.
Ogletree shot the lowest round of the tournament thus far, a bogey free 64, including a 6-under 30 on the back side. He was still critical of his round, as most golfers will be.
“I played well, he said. "I feel like I got off to a better start than my scorecard -- I didn’t make a birdie till the 7th hole. I missed a lot of short putts starting out, but I knew, 'keep hitting it, and they’ll eventually go in.'"
One shot back of Ogletree is Argentinian, and possibly "the most interesting man in the field"
Gaston Bertinotti, whose 4-under-par 68 today is keeping him in the mix.
“The course is playing tough (for me) because it doesn’t fit my eye very well. But there are a lot of birdie opportunities out there, and if you hit a couple good shots, you can make a couple birdies,” said Bertinotti.
He has reiterated on both Wednesday and Thursday that the golf course is not a good fit for his play, however, his two-day 10-under-par performance hasn’t seemed to expose any weaknesses yet.
Bertinotti is in a tie with Missouri signee, Austin Fulton, and 2016 Big East Player of the Year,
Lloyd Jefferson Go, for the fifth position moving into Friday. Fulton and Go have both posted 5-under-par 67s in their first two rounds of play.
Final Groupings:
8:30 AM ET: Dawson Armstrong, Andy Ogletree, Bryson Nimmer
8:20 AM ET: Chandler Eaton, Gaston Bertinotti, Lloyd Jefferson Go
8:10 AM ET: Austin Fulton, Benjamin Shipp, Steven Fisk
ABOUT THE
Dogwood Invitational
Tournament week is June 2-7 at Druid Hills
Golf
Club
in
Atlanta, Georgia. The entry fee includes
breakfast
and lunch
tournament days as
well
as special events.
The history of this prestigious event extends
back to
1941, when legendary amateur Tommy Barnes
captured his first of five Dogwood titles.
Evolving
with
the times, the modern Dogwood has produced
fine
champions like Webb Simpson (’07), Brian
Harman
(’09), Dawson Armstrong (’15), and in 2019
Brandon
Mancheno. This
evolution can
be
seen also in our course renovations and set-up,
our
relaxed tournament atmosphere, and our spirit
of
social
responsibility.
Players are required to walk during tournament
play
and may carry their golf bag themselves (push
carts are
allowed) or take a caddie. Caddies may be
requested
in advance during registration, or players may
select
one on their own.
Player housing is provided on an as available
basis to
players only, caddies and traveling
companions are not
provided housing.
View Complete Tournament Information