Written by Beaux Yenchik, Manager of Media and Communication
On a day that required moves to be made, nearly half the field at the Idaho Golf Association’s opening championship shot below par. With just one day remaining in the 2022 Four-Ball Championships, Saturday’s final round at Jackpot Golf Club will come down to who can execute and who will waffle under pressure. No lead is safe in any division as those chasing the leaders find themselves within striking distance.
It was the pairing of Nick Travers and Kody Rathe who shot today’s low round for the entire field. With a 65 (-7) in the bag, the two have found themselves now tied for the lead at 12-under-par with yesterday’s leaders: Chris Boquette and Brian Lawley. Holing three birdies on the front and four birdies on the back, Travers and Rathe had the ball rolling on a day when every club in the bag needed to be hot. Sharing the lead, with the third-place team just two strokes behind, tomorrow’s round should prove to be nothing less than entertaining for the Men’s division title.
As was the case with round one, the wind showed its gnarly teeth as the day progressed into the afternoon. With a subtle amount of rain mixed into the things, it required today’s later tee times, which affected the Women’s division the most, to grind a little more than those who went out first. Karen Darrington and Kristin Fenwick weathered the challenges the best as the pairing shot an even-par (72) to keep their lead on the other groups. Having got as low as five-under-par, the dynamic duo stumbled slightly as they gave back their shots by bogeying three of their final five holes.
Jay Sutton and Dan Pickens increased their lead today by shooting a four-under-par, 68. Taking a four-shot lead into the final round, Sutton and Pickens look to be the favorites as they seek to be repeat champions. At 11-under-par, the duo simply needs to take care of business—playing steady golf and controlling the nerves. (Easier said than done, I know.)
CLICK HERE for a look complete look at each division’s leaderboard, and be sure to visit the IGA's social media channels for pictures from today’s action.