Matt Mabrey looked every bit like a defending champion Saturday during the second round of the Maumelle Classic.
Mabrey, 20, shot a 6-under 66 and leads the field by seven strokes heading into today’s final round at Maumelle Country Club.
Mabrey, a Little Rock native who is a junior at Tulsa, took a commanding lead with a 31 on the front nine while first-round leader Jade Scott faltered with a 38.
“I got off to a really hot start,” Mabrey said. “The course is definitely playing softer than last year.”
All three players in the lead group of Mabrey, Scott and Alex Hewitt birdied the par-4 first hole.
Mabrey and Hewitt stuck their short approaches to within 4 feet, and Scott curled in a downhill putt from about 12 feet. Mabrey, who started the day one shot behind Scott, tied for the lead when Scott missed a birdie chance from about 10 feet on the par-5 second and Mabrey tapped in his approach that finished within 2 feet for his birdie.
Mabrey also benefited from a three-shot swing on the par-4 third. Mabreymade an uphill birdie putt from about 20 feet to go to 3 under through three holes while Scott missed the green and three-putted for double bogey. Scott later bogeyed the par-5 sixth, and Mabrey added birdies on the par-4 seventh and ninth holes.
Scott pulled another shot back with a birdie on the par-4 10th, but Mabrey made a birdie putt from about 12 feet on the par-3 13th.
Scott and Hewitt both shot 75.
“I hit it everywhere,” said Scott, a 22-year-old senior at Texas A&M. “My wedge play was awful. … You can’t miss greens with wedges at any level of golf.”
Mabrey’s only bogey was on the par-3 17th, but he rebounded with a 12-foot birdie putt on the final hole to reach 9 under. He hit 10 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens in regulation Saturday.
“It’s hard to keep up a good round after such a hot start,” Mabrey said. “I told myself on the back nine to just not make any mistakes. I’m proud of myself for not shooting myself in the foot.”
Byron Shumate of Fort Smith (70) and Chris Worrell of Tulsa (69) are tied for second at 2 under. Wes McNulty of White Hall shot 71 and is tied with Scott for fourth at 1 under.
Sports, Pages 33 on 07/28/2013