Sorenson 2 Back after 36 Holes in National Club Pro Tournament

National

SUNRIVER, Oregon -- Jeff Sorenson made a spectacular save of par on the last hole Monday on the Crosswater Course at Sunriver Resort. With that, he capped off a 3-under-par 69 and claimed sole possession of fifth place after two rounds in the confusingly -- and redundantly -- named PGA Professional Championship. It is more useful, not to mention more grammatical, to refer to the event as the National Club Pro Championship.

Sorenson hit his tee shot into a dry hazzard on the 445-yard, par-4 18th hole, and the five-tme Minnesota PGA Player of the Year could only punch out back to the fairway from there. He was still 150 yards from the green at that point, but he hit a pitching wedge to 6 feet and made the putt for his 4. That gave him a 36-hole total of 139.

He is two strokes behind the co-leaders: University of Toledo coach Jamie Broce and defending champion Rich Berberian. Broce also concluded his round at Crosswater with an impressive par save. In his case, it was a two-putt from 80 feet, and the par putt was a 15-footer. That kept him bogey-free for the day, and he signed for a 67.

There were 312 players in the field when the tournament began on Sunday, and they played two courses -- Crosswater (par 72) and Meadows (par 71). The field was cut to the low 90 and ties (108 in all) on Monday, and it will be cut again on Tuesday, to the low 70 and ties for Wednesday's final round. Each of the final two rounds will be played at Crosswater.

Berberian, who won this tournament last year in spite of a triple bogey on the back nine during his final round, suffered a slight oil leak on the back nine Monday when he bogeyed the 10th and 11th holes. He, too, was playing Crosswater. But he righted the ship after the two bogeys, and played the last seven holes in even par to post a 70 on his way to 137.

Former champ Rod Perry also shot 70, and he's one stroke back at 138, along with Brian Smock. Smock shot 74 on Sunday at Crosswater, but on Monday he took advantage of the shorter Meadows course (it is more than 500 yards shorter than Crosswater), lighting it up with a 64.

Sorenson, who finished third in the National Club Pro tournament the last time it was played at Sunriver, in 2013, got off to fast start on Monday. The 38-year-old teaching pro at The Minikahda Club made four birdies, four pars and one bogey on the front nine at Crosswater. His back nine wasn't nearly as eventful -- until the 18th hole -- as he made nine straight pars. 

Also making the cut was 16-time Minnesota PGA Player of the year Don Berry, 55, the longtime head pro at Edinburgh USA. He followed a 73 with a 74, and the resulting total of 147 made the cut on the number. He's tied for 84th, along with more than 20 other pros, including Mitchell Mackedanz, the Bemidji T&CC assistant who won the Minnesota Club Pro Championship last year. He came back from a first-round 76 with a 71 on Monday to slip in under the cut.

First place in the National Club Pro is worth $50,000. But the other big prize that's available is a spot in the 2017 PGA Championship this August. The top 20 finishers will qualify for that one, and it won't be 20 and ties. If there is a tie, and there usually is, there will be a playoff.  

MEN'S PROFESSIONAL GOLF

2017 PGA Professional Championship

At Sunriver Resort 

Crosswater Course (Par 72, 7,530 yards)

& Meadows Course (Par 71, 7,000 yards) 

Sunriver, Oregon

Second-round results 

T1. Jamie Broce                     70-67--137

T1. Rich Berberian                 67-70--137

T3. Brian Smock                    74-64--138

T3. Rod Perry                        68-70--138

5. Jeff Sorenson                    70-69--139

T84. Don Berry                      73-74--147

T84. Mitchell Mackedanz      76-71--147

T84. Ryan Helminsn              75-72--147

Missed cut (147) 

T109. Brent Snyder               71-77--148

T190. Bill Israelson               75-77--152

T190. Kris Kroetsch              83-69--152

T226. Eric Chiles                  75-79--154

T250. Dave Tenntis              79-77--156

T250. Jonathan Reigstad     78-78--156