Sunday’s final round of the 72nd annual Greenwood Country Club Invitational appears to be a two-horse race.
Josh Lampley of Gulfport and Joel Myrick of Hattiesburg are tied atop the leaderboard at 12-under par after two rounds. They are five shots clear of Justin Elliott of Hattiesburg going into the final 18 holes.
Defending champion Myrick fired a 2-under-par 70 Saturday after opening tournament play with a sizzling 10-under 60 on Friday. He had four bogeys in the second round, including one on the final hole at the par-5 18th. Myrick offset those miscues with five birdies.
Myrick is trying to become just the ninth golfer to win the GCC Invitational in back-to-back years in the tradition-rich, 72-year history of one of the state’s oldest stroke-play tournaments. The last to do so was Josh Oller in 2007 and 2008.
Lampley, who won this tournament in 2016, shot a 69 Saturday to move into a tie for first place. After a bogey-free round of 61 Friday, he had three bogeys in the second round to go with six birdies — five of which came on the back nine.
Lampley, a two-time Mississippi Mid-Amateur champion with wins in 2017 and 2015, caught fire on the back nine with three straight birdies at holes 10, 11 and 12. He also added birdies on the final two par-5s, No. 16 and No. 18.
Elliott is five back of those two after shooting 71 in the second round. Rodney Boswell of Lyon is in fourth place at 6-under following back-to-back rounds of 69. Richard Reed of Starkville (72) and Austin Smithers of Hattiesburg (72) are tied for fifth, eight shots off the lead.
Greenwood’s Michael Naaman made a big move up the leaderboard with a second-round 68, jumping into a tie for seventh place 3-under.
It was an eventful day for Naaman on Saturday. He shot 3-under on the front nine with a bogey. On the back, he had a triple-bogey at the par-3 14th but rebounded with birdie on the next hole and an eagle at the par-5 16th.
Naaman completed his wild round with a bogey-birdie finish.
Two-time GCC Invitational champion Alan Ellis of Greenwood had to withdraw with hand injury. He shot 71 on Friday.
The lowest score of the day belonged to Cade Lott of Columbus who posted a 66.
There were only 14 rounds under par on Saturday, compared to 26 in the opening round.
