Australian Younan-Wise leads in Texas
BY Bruce Young | Nationwide Tour | 2011 WNB Golf Classic | Round Two | 01 Oct 2011
Australian Jake Younan-Wise and American B.J. Staten lead through 36 holes of the Nationwide Tour’s WNB Classic in Midland in Texas.
Younan Wise, from Northern New South Wales, is playing in his rookie season on the Nationwide Tour after earlier playing collegiate golf for Texas Tech. His experience in Texas might well have been the catalyst for such an impressive start this week.
The 24 year old has missed all but two of eighteen cuts to date this season so to say the least these are giddy heights for the young man who played much of his junior golf in Australia in the era of Jason Day.
As he had done on his closing nine in yesterday’s opening round of 66 Younan-Wise played his last nine holes in 31 for a round of 65 to grab a share of the lead late in the day.
Staten played the PGA Tour in 2006 and 2008 but has had injury issues at times since. He is currently 60th on this year’s Nationwide Tour money list so a continuation of this form could see him on his way back to the big league.
New Zealander Tim Wilkinson continued his recent good form to be in a share of 4th position while Gavin Coles is 6th.
Wilkinson is fighting his way back to the form he displayed when getting to the PGA Tour in 2007 but thumb injury in 2009 saw him eventually lose his playing rights there in 2010.
Danny Lee is in a share of 8th position after being disqualified last week in California after withdrawing from the Soboba Golf Classic without following correct procedure. He has bounced back well as he seeks to consolidate his current 14th position on the money list.
David Lutterus is the next best Australian in 14th position, Terry Pilkadaris 17th, with Peter Lonard and Stuart Deane 41st.
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