VERO BEACH, Fla. – The second round of the Amateur Public Links Championship at Sandridge Golf Club’s Dunes Course brought excitement and plenty of low scores. In the end, it was Kyle Martin and Ari Faana who shared the co-lead at 5-under par.
What Happened
44th Mid-Amateur Champion Kyle Martin began his day six shots behind leader Ian Ball. After a bogey on the 3rd hole, it looked like he was losing momentum again. However, Martin became a birdie machine, racking up four birdies in a row from holes 6–9, then adding another on the 11th. Martin then made steady pars until the 16th hole, where he went on another birdie run. He made birdie on 16 and 17, then capped his round with a miraculous up-and-down on the long par-5 18th hole. Martin’s ball looked buried in the rough, but he hit a high flop shot to 10 feet and drained the putt, securing a round of 65.
Ari Faana also had another solid day on the course. Starting two shots behind the leader, Faana played consistent golf throughout the day. He made birdies on hole 4 and the difficult par-3 6th, giving him a 1-under score heading into the turn. On the 12th hole, Faana hit a creative chip shot from beside the green, keeping the ball low and rolling it next to the hole to secure a birdie. He then added birdies on holes 14 and 16 to match Martin’s score of 5-under and earn a share of the lead.
Many players remain in contention as well. Jules Gentil is just two strokes behind the leaders after shooting a 1-under 71. James Preston and Austin Collins follow closely at 2-under par.
What’s Next
The leaders will look to capitalize on their momentum when they tee off for the final round tomorrow morning. Play will begin at 7:30 a.m., with the leaders teeing off at 9:09.
Notable
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Kyle Martin is looking to win his second FSGA tournament of the year after capturing the Mid-Amateur Championship in May.
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Ari Faana and Jules Gentil are the only two players in the field who have shot under par in both rounds.
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Every par-5 on the course has given up an eagle, with holes 2 and 12 yielding three eagles each.
Quotable
“The putter felt a lot better today. I did some work with it last night, and it paid off. I had a nice string of birdies and just kept it going. I just have to keep it rolling and have fun with it.”
– Kyle Martin on what worked well in today’s round
“I just have to make sure to keep the ball in front of me, in the fairway and in play. My goal is always to have a good second shot looking into the green.”
– Ari Faana on how he plans to play tomorrow
