Joseph Deraney (Timuquana photo)
JACKSONVILLE, FL (May 6, 2018) - Hopefully
Joseph Deraney brought an extra carry-on with him when he left his house last weekend, because he'll have two trophies to take with him when he boards the plane for the trip home. The 34-year-old from Lexington, KY continued his brilliance this week, closing out the Timuquana Cup Invitational with a 72 and a one-shot win at Timuquana Country Club.
Deraney will sleep well when he gets back to Lexington, playing six good rounds of golf in a row in two different time zones, leading for five of those six days and winning two major mid-amateur national invitationals in a row.
At the Carlton Woods Invitational just north of Houston, Deraney took the lead with a 67 in the second round, then held steady with a final-round 72 and a two-shot win. He then flew to Florida and picked right up where he left off, shooting a pair of 70s (the low score of the field each day), and then grinding out another 72 for the win.
Related: Joseph Deraney wins the 13th Carlton Woods Invitational
Like at Carlton Woods, Deraney outplayed his playing partners in the final round, but had to contend with a player in the groups ahead going low and posting a target score. This time is was Nick Gilliam (Newberry, FL) who put up 7 birdies in a 68 that put him in the clubhouse at 3 under while Deraney was still out on the course.
Scoring was lower on Sunday, with four scores in the 60s, including 67s by Bowen Osborn (Burbank, CA) and the defending champion Patrick Christovich (New Orleans, LA), getting both into the top 10.
Deraney was two-under for the third straight round after birdies on 14 and 15, giving him a three-shot cushion. Like at Carlton Woods, he dropped a couple of shots late, but with a two-shot lead on the final hole a bogey was good enough to close it out. Deraney finished with rounds of 70-70-72 for a 4-under total.
Gilliam was second, and Osborn was tied for third at 2 under with Rob Couture (Dallas, TX). Christovich was fourth along with Mike Stamberger (New York, NY) at 1-over 217.
Rusty Strawn (McDonough, GA), who starte dthe day one shot behind Deraney, fell away with a 75 and finished tied for 7th, in a group of four other players that includes Clay Guerin (Hoover, AL), who came into the tournament hot off of winning both the Haskins Four-Ball and the Alabama State Four-Ball in successive weeks.
ROUND TWO RECAP
Joseph Deraney (Lexington, KY) is in prime position to win his second major national mid-amateur invitational in four days, shooting a second-consecutive round of 2-under 70 and taking a three shot lead into the final round of the Timuquana Cup Invitational at Timuquana Country Club.
Deraney, who
won the Carlton Woods Invitational in The Woodlands, Texas on Thursday, put together a 4 birdie, 2 bogey round, just as he did in round one. he is doing his damage on the par fives at Timuquana, going 5 under for the 8 he has played.
A win on Sunday would also give Deraney his second Timuquana Cup title in three years, having won his first in 2016.
Rusty Strawn (McDonough, GA) is the only other player under par, with rounds of 71-72 putting him three shots behind the leader.
Three players--Mike Stamberger (New York, NY), Rob Couture (Dallas, TX) and Tony Grillo (Jacksonville Beach, FL)--share third place at even par 144.
The defending champion Patrick Christovich (New Orleans, LA) is tied for 16th at 6-over 150. Among other past champions, Kevin Wolf (2015) is tied 7th at 3-over 147 and Tommy Dudley, who won the first Timuquana Cup in 2012, if tied 14th at 5-over 149.
ROUND ONE RECAP
Just a day after
winning the Carlton Woods Invitational Joseph Deraney opened in a 2-under 70 to grab the lead at the Timuquana Cup Invitational.
Following the completion of his title at the Houston, TX event Deraney traveled 870 miles east and he brought his A game along with him. Deraney rolled in his first of four birdies at Timuquana Country Club on the 2nd hole while adding additional circles on the 4th, 6th and 12th holes. The 2016 Timuquana Cup Invitational winner did bogey twice but he will still carry a one shot lead into Saturday's second round.
Rusty Strawn and Tony Grillo are tied for second at 1-under while David Denham, Thad Hudgens, Kevin Wolf and Nick Gilliam are sharing fourth at even-par. Defending champion Patrick Christovich is 2-over in a tie for 11th.
ABOUT THE
Timuquana Cup
Invitational tournament with a field
consisting
of 40 of the top Mid Amateur players in the
country, together with 20 of the top
Senior
Amateurs and 18 more Super Senior amateurs .
The theme of the event will be a
"Gathering of
Friends" with a small, select field
dedicated to
those individuals whose passion is
amateur
golf. The Timuquana Cup will be a
celebration
of amateur golf.
The tournament chairman is Steve Melnyk,
and
USGA Rules Official Tom Dudley will be in
charge of course set up and the rules of
competition. One of the highlights of this
year's event will be a cocktail cruise on the
St.
Johns River departing from the Timuquana
Country Club dock and housing will be
available
for many competitors in members' homes.
View Complete Tournament Information