By Staff
BENTON HARBOR - Dillard Pruitt, absent from the Western Amateur the past 19 years, leds the field heading into Friday's final 36 holes of medal play in the 101st Western Amateur after firing a 7-under-par 64 for a 136 total Thursday at Point O'Woods G. &C.C. in Benton Harbor, Mich.
This morning, however, Pruitt notified tournament officials he was withdrawing from the event due to personal reasons and would not be playing in today's final 36 holes of medal play. No further explanation was given.
Pruitt, 41, qualified for the Western Amateur's Sweet 16 in 1983 and 1984 before launching a professional career. After leaving competitive professional golf in 1996, he joined the PGA TOUR as a rules official. Pruitt has since regained his amateur status, and in 2002 he won the Sunnehanna Amateur and the Canadian Amateur.
Pruitt's round Thursday included eight birdies and a lone bogey. He sank birdie putts of 40 feet on No. 7 and 30 feet on No. 11, and then made a 25-foot par-saving putt on the 12th.
An All-American at Clemson University in 1984, Pruitt won the 1991 Chattanooga Classic on the PGA TOUR and finished 13th in the 1992 Masters.
Two strokes back at 138 were Wednesday's co-leader Richard Moir, of Victoria, Australia, who followed an opening 66 with a 1-over-par 72; Robert Grube, Hinsdale, Ill., who tied Pruitt for low round with a 64; Kevin Ward, of Leawood, Kansas, who shot 71-67; and Joseph Affrunti, Crystal Lake, Ill., who shot 70-68. After Pruitt's withdrawal, those four are now tied for the lead.
Colby Beckstrom, who matched Moir's 66 in the first round, struggled to a 74 Thursday and ended the day tied for 11th. He is now tied for 10th after Pruitt's withdrawal.
Moir faltered Thursday on Point O'Woods' undulating greens. "I had four, three-putts today," he said. "And I doubled the seventh again."
The field of 156 was cut to the low 50 scores and ties (145). The qualifiers play a final 36 holes of medal play on Friday, with the low 16 for the 72 holes advancing to match play on Saturday. The semifinals will be Sunday morning, with the championship match set for Sunday afternoon.
2003 Western Amateur
Second Round, Thursday, July 31
Made the cut (low 50 players and ties)
1. Kevin Ward (Leawood, KS) 71-67--138
Richard Moir (Victoria, Australia) 66-72--138
Joseph Affrunti (Crystal Lake, IL) 70-68--138
Robert Grube (Hinsdale, IL) 74-64--138
5. Jay Reynolds (Austin, TX) 74-65--139
Richard Scott (Ontario, Canada ) 68-71--139
Aron Price (Statesboro, GA) 72-67--139
Nicholas Flanagan (NSW, Australia) 71-68--139
Matthew Rosenfeld (Plano, TX) 68-71--139
10. James Nitties (NSW, Australia) 71-69--140
Ricardo Carrillo (Mexico City, Mexico) 69-71--140
J.J. Jakovac (Napa, CA) 69-71--140
David Oh (Cerritos, CA) 71-69--140
Jeffrey Overton (Evansville, IN) 72-68--140
Colby Beckstrom (N. Muskegan, MI) 66-74--140
16. Randy Lowry (Spring, TX) 72-69--141
Jeff Bell (Plano, TX) 71-70--141
Erik Olson (Newcastle, WA) 71-70--141
Oscar Alvarez (Provo, UT) 73-68--141
Chez Reavie (Mesa, AZ) 73-68--141
21. Stephen Polanski (Livonia, MI) 70-72--142
Michael Barbosa (St. Petersburg, FL) 70-72--142
Kevin Kisner (Aiken, SC) 71-71--142
Justin Smith (Franklin, PA) 71-71--142
Jonathan Moore (Portland, OR) 67-75--142
Peter Tomasulo (Berkeley, CA) 71-71--142
Adam Rubinson (Ft. Worth, TX) 70-72--142
Chris Botsford (Pasadena, CA) 71-71--142
Brett Lange (Atlanta, GA) 73-69--142
Brady Stockton (San Ramon, CA) 69-73--142
Ben Bunny (Melbourne, Australia) 73-69--142
32. Tom Johnson (Weaverville, CA) 72-71--143
Patrick Carter (Huntington, WV) 71-72--143
Brad Heaven (Toledo, OH) 68-75--143
Bill Haas (Greer, SC) 73-70--143
Michael Putnam (Tacoma, WA) 70-73--143
Ty Harris (Tampa, FL) 73-70--143
Chad Perman (Hunt Valley, MD) 69-74--143
David Schultz (Fargo, ND) 71-72--143
Andrew Dresser (Carrollton, TX) 74-69--143
Camilo Villegas (Medellin, Columbia) 72-71--143
John Merrick (Long Beach, CA) 69-74--143
44. Rusty Kennedy (Phoenix, AZ) 73-71--144
Danny Green (Jackson, TN) 72-72--144
Brian Crum (Fairfax, VA) 69-75--144
Kevin Hall (Cincinnati, OH) 71-73--144
Josh Esler (Wauconda, IL) 74-70--144
Duke Butler IV (Ponte Vedra, FL) 71-73--144
50. Jesse Mueller (Mesa, AZ) 70-75--145
Jake Pasch (Fox Point, WI) 72-73--145
Kyle Reifers (Columbus, OH) 72-73--145
Thomas Jordan (Sea Island, GA) 72-73--145
Chris Nallen (Hackettstown, NJ) 74-71--145
Ben Hayes (Paradise Valley, AZ) 76-69--145
Luke List (Ringgold, GA) 75-70--145
Tripp Davis (Norman, OK) 73-72--145
Greg Machtaler (British Columbia, Canada) 73-72--145
Christopher Mayson (West Lafaytette, IN) 73-72--145