Hultman leads after suspended second round in Bay Mills

NEWS RELEASE

CANADIAN PROFESSIONAL GOLF TOUR

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Hultman Leads By One At Halfway Pole In Bay Mills

by Marty Henwood

August 26, 2005 -- BRIMLEY, Mich.--Anders Hultman of Sweden posted a 4-under 68 Friday and is the clubhouse leader after the suspended second round of the Canadian Tour’s Bay Mills Open Players Championship.

A fog delay that pushed back tee times by two hours didn’t faze Hultman as the 26-year-old followed up his opening round 67 with another impressive display at the 7,101-yard Wild Bluff Golf Club. With a 36-hole total of 9-under 135, Hultman leads veteran Mike Grob by one stroke with Matt McQuillan of Kingston, Ont. and American Rob Oppenheim four back.

McQuillan, who won the Telus Edmonton open earlier this summer, posted a 68 Friday.

Play was halted by darkness with 13 players still on the course. The second round will wrap up Saturday morning before the field is cut to the low 60 players and ties.

Despite slow starts on both days, Hultman has bailed himself out with some clutch putting. He was 3-over after five holes Thursday and had a par-par-bogey start in the second round. Hultman recovered Friday with a birdie on number 13, his fourth hole of the day, before adding birdies on 15 and 16 to turn at 2-under 34.

But it has been his work on the green that is the difference through 36 holes. Hultman needed just 23 putts Friday and 27 in the opening round. On the par-4 second hole, Hultman converted a 50-footer, the third time in two days he has cashed in a birdie putt from that distance.

“My putter has been the difference this week,” said Hultman, a teammate of Charles Howell III on Oklahoma State’s NCAA championship team in 2000. “I’ve been getting great reads and making everything.”

On Friday, Grob eagled the par-5 ninth before knocking in three birdies on his back nine.

Grob, a three-time Tour champion, is poised to become the all-time Canadian Tour earnings leader this weekend. Trailing Victoria’s Jim Rutledge by less than $1,000, Grob, who recently passed $1 million dollars in career earnings on the PGA, Nationwide and Canadian Tours, has another goal he will be shooting for over the final two rounds. A win in Michigan would vault Grob into the top six on the 2005 money list, guaranteeing him a berth in the Bell Canadian Open next month in Vancouver.

“That’s the big thing for me, that is why I came up here to play,” said Grob, who finished runner-up to Stuart Anderson earlier this year in Modesto, Calif. “I’ve played OK this year, but I’ve had a couple of chances and haven’t been able to get it done. Hopefully the third time is a charm.”

Hultman knows he has made the most of his birdie tries but admitted he will need to have a quicker start out of the gate on the weekend if he is to be around Sunday afternoon.

“It’s encouraging knowing I can bounce back from a slow start,” added Hultman. “I like this track but you can’t let up or it will come back and bite you. I’m going to have to keep rolling it well all weekend.”

Michael Harris and Paul Danielson are in the house at 4-under.

Once the final putt falls Sunday, the top two players off the Canadian Tour money list will be awarded an exemption into the second stage of the three-tiered PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament this autumn. Peter Tomasulo, who won his first Tour title earlier this month in Montreal and is currently second in Tour earnings, is tied for seventh at minus-3. Money leader Jaime Gomez is at even par 144, safely inside Friday’s cutline of 3-over.

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