Gutgsell leads State Mid-Am at halfway point by one stroke over Shearn.

GOSHEN, KY (October 11, 2022) – One month after competing in the U.S. Mid-Am, Austin Gutgsell of Louisville is the man atop the State Mid-Am at the tournament’s halfway point. Following the opening round of the 28^th Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Kentucky Mid-Am from Big Spring Country Club – Harmony Landing Course, the former LSU Tiger is in front after recording 67 (-4).

Gutgsell’s day got off to a slow start as he stood on the 7^th tee at +1 for the tournament, but the remaining two-thirds of the round featured the best golf from any player in the field. Four birdies and an eagle over the next dozen holes sent him from the middle of the pack to the top of the standings by day’s end.

His closest chaser is David Shearn, another Louisville resident who sits one behind Gutgsell after a round of 68 (-3). Four birdies against one bogey gave the Bellarmine alumnus one of the cleanest scorecards in the field and is rewarded with solo second entering Wednesday’s final round.

Aaron Yarmuth and Brett Metzger share third place after each player shot matching rounds of 69 (-2). Despite ending at the same number, the routes each player took to arrive at that score were vastly different. For Yarmuth, it was one eagle, one birdie and one bogey that were mixed in a round dominated by fifteen pars. Meanwhile, Metzger tallied just six pars and lived adventurously through seven birdies and five bogeys during an up-and-down round.

Rounding out the players with under-par scores on Tueday were Matt Epperson, Taylor Thompson and Mike Brumfield who all posted 70 (-1). Epperson leads the contingent of past champions in this event through one round as he chases his second career State Mid-Am title. Thompson, like Gutgsell, is using his recent experience from the U.S. Mid-Am to his advantage as he now pursues the State title. Brumfield is the oldest competitor of the contenders as he hopes to become the oldest champion in tournament history at the age of 53.

Net scores are also being counted in this championship on a separate leaderboard, but the top of those standings in the Open Division looks much like the gross standings. Gutgsell tops that list with a net score of 67 (-4) while Shearn shares second place with Adam Warren after adjusted scores of 69 (-2).

In the Senior Division, which is optional for players between the ages of 50-59, Marshall Butler and P.J. McDougal set the pace for these players with rounds of 72 (+1). They lead by four strokes over Scott King and Donald Kohler. Butler is also leading the net component, holding the advantage by one shot in that department over McDougal, King and Kohler.

The Super Senior Division accounts for players aged 60 or older and two of the KGA’s top players in that age bracket, Greg Engle and Tommy Fike, lead the way after each player shot 69 (-2). David Rudder is in third place and the closest player to them. Charles Verrette leads the net leaderboard after turning in 69 (-2) with Engle and Rudder one stroke behind.

NOTES & STATS

• In the Open Division, there were four eagles recorded with two apiece on the par-five 9^th and par-five 12^th holes. Yarmuth and Paul Gadient had the ones on the 9^th while Gutgsell and Denver Haddix took advantage of the 12^th.
• Those two holes were the easiest of the day with the 9^th playing slightly friendlier, averaging a stroke-to-par score of -0.27.
• The par-three 6^th was the hardest hole of round one at +0.63 with more than half the players in the Open Division recording bogey or worse.
• To par, holes 1-9 were the tougher test at +2.17 compared to an average score of +1.80 on the back nine. The course average was 74.97 (+3.97).

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Golf House Kentucky will have full coverage of the final round on its Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages. When the final group on Wednesday reaches the 18^th hole, a live-stream of the finish will be available to view on Facebook. If a playoff is needed to determine the champion, that will also be live-streamed.

About the Kentucky Golf Association:
The Kentucky Golf Association (KGA) is one of the three organizations encompassed under Golf House Kentucky, in addition to the Kentucky Golf Foundation (KGF) and Kentucky PGA Section (KPGA). The Kentucky Golf Association represents the amateur body of Kentucky’s golfers working in assistance with the United States Golf Association (USGA). The KGA provides a wide range of services, including handicapping, USGA course and slope ratings, and tournament management software to its Member Clubs. The KGA also operates the state’s premier amateur tournaments along with USGA National Championship qualifiers. Alongside the KGF and KPGA, the KGA strives to promote the benefits and enjoyment of golf while continuing to grow the sport across the Commonwealth.

Media Contact:
Ethan Fisher, PGA | Golf House Kentucky | efisher@kygolf.org | (502) 792-9703