COLUMBUS
Sean Rowen used Tuesday’s second round of the Indiana Amateur Championship to solidify himself as the sole front-runner after being in a four-way tie for first place at the conclusion of the first round.
The Greenwood resident followed his 4-under-par 68 at Otter Creek with a 69 to give himself a one-stroke lead. Rowen started the day with birdies on his first two holes before picking up a third birdie on hole 10. He shot par on the other 15 holes.
“I thought I managed it really well,” Rowen said. “I thought it played a lot harder for us today than it did yesterday. The wind picked up, the greens were getting a little firmer. So you had to think your way around a little bit more than yesterday.”
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The cutoff to make it to the final two rounds was a 8-over 152 and there were three other Johnson County golfers moving on. Ethan Shepherd is tied for 12th after matching Rowen’s 69, which puts him even at 144. Joshua Oldham and Austin Crowder are tied in 45th place with 150, 6 over par.
Oldham edged Crowder by one stroke in the first round and Crowder returned the favor Tuesday, carding a 74 while Oldham posted a 75 for the second day in a row.
“After the way (Monday) went I was just hoping to come out here today and shoot something around par to put myself in the position to play the last two days,” Crowder said. “The last two days I just couldn’t really get the putter going, so I didn’t really get much out of my rounds.”
The other five local golfers who missed the cut were Zack Carrabine (153), Alex Heck (154), Sam Gorall (159), Matt Jordan (160) and Tyler Kitchel (166).
