Cress Takes One-Shot Lead Into NC Am Final Round

 

Raleigh, N.C. (June 20, 2020) -- The results from the third round of the 60th North Carolina Amateur Championship at North Ridge Country Club’s Lakes Course in Raleigh, N.C. on June 20, 2020. (6,880 yards, par 36-34--70)

 

Related: Championship Web Site | Full Field | Starting Times | Scoring l Photos l History 

 

Walker Cress of Concord, N.C. continued his dominant performance at the 60th N.C. Amateur but with several players within striking distance and 18 holes remaining, the championship is far from over.

 

Cress finished the day where he started; at 8-under-par total for the championship. The major difference being that the gap between him and his nearest competitor has closed from four shots to just one. Cress had three birdies and three bogeys en route to an even par, 70 in Saturday’s round.

 

“I just stuck to the same game plan. I was pretty conservative off the tees, just trying to keep it in the fairway because that’s pretty crucial out there because the rough is pretty tough,” said Cress. “Where I lost my shots today was missing the fairways just because it’s so hard to hold these greens, they are so firm and fast.”

 

It was a contingent of players in the groups ahead of Cress making the most of moving day.  At one point on the back nine, five players found themselves in a tie for second place. 

 

Cress’ first round score of 6-under-par, 64 remains the lowest score of the Championship; however, Peter Fountain of Raleigh, N.C. matched that today to pull within one shot of the lead.

 

After shooting an even par, 70 in Round 2, Fountain decided to play more aggressively on Saturday and it paid off. He carded six birdies and no bogeys in Round 3 to move into solo second heading into Sunday’s final round.

 

“I had been playing more conservative for the last two days since the greens are so fast,” Fountain said. “I play my best when I play a little more aggressively. Ball striking is my strength so I was able to hit close shots today and make putts. If I can play aggressive and play about the same as today and limit the bogies then I’ll have a good chance I think.”

 

Fountain is a freshman at the UNC Chapel Hill and is the reigning N.C. Junior Boys’ champion. 

 

Last week’s Carolinian Amateur champion, Tim Bunten also of Concord, N.C., will round out Sunday’s final grouping. Bunten started his round with a bogey on the par-4, first hole but bounced back nicely with three birdies in a row on Nos. 2, 3 and 4. He made one more birdie and one bogey before birdieing three in a row on Nos. 13, 14 and 15 to finish with a 5-under-par round on Saturday to move into solo third place at 6-under-par, 204 total.

 

The 2016 N.C. Amateur champion, Nick Lyerly of Salisbury, N.C. sits in a three-way tie for fourth place at 5-under-par, 205 total. Jonathan Brightwell of Charlotte, N.C. and Patrick Stephenson of Four Oaks, N.C. will complete the penultimate grouping on Sunday. 

 

60th North Carolina Amateur Championship
North Ridge Country Club (Lakes), Raleigh, N.C.
Third Round Results