Douglas’ sub-70 round at Kearney Hill gives him two-stroke lead in State Senior Amateur.

LEXINGTON, KY (August 15, 2022) – Paul Douglas of London is the leader at the halfway point of the Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Kentucky Senior Amateur. With a round of 68 (-4) on Monday at Kearney Hill Golf Links, Douglas was the only player to post a score in the 60s and it results in him having a two-stroke lead entering Tuesday’s final round.

On both the front nine and the back nine, Douglas made two birdies and seven pars. The consistent, stress-free performance puts the 53-year-old in position to win the championship for the first time in his career.

Douglas has three players trailing him by two shots. 2014 and 2015 State Senior Am champion Gary Backlund, Paxton Song and Mike Damron all shot 70 (-2) to share second place at day’s end. Paul Favorito is in solo fifth and rounded out the players from the Senior Division to shoot under-par scores on Monday. Douglas, Backlund and Damon will play in the final group of the final round and are slated to start play on Tuesday at 1:50 p.m. EDT off hole 1.

The Masters Division, hosting players aged between 60 and 69, is jampacked at the top with five players sharing the lead at 71 (-1). Greg Engle, Tommy Fike, Larry Brown, Scott Beard, and Rick Harp all registered that score to develop a compelling leaderboard. Adding to it, Phillip Harper and Charles Verrette both shot 72 (E) and are one shot back of the leading five.

In 2021, Jim Caudill won the Legends Division in this tournament and his title defense is off to a good start. He leads among those aged 70 or older by a shot following a round of 72 (E) to open the competition. Elmo Greer trails him by a stroke while Billy Ballard and Ricky Bourne are two behind.

Net scores are also being counted in each division at this championship. From the Senior Division, Paul Baker tallied a score of 66 (-6) to lead by two strokes over the overall gross leader in Paul Douglas. Charles Verrette, one of those in contention on the gross side in the Masters Division, leads the net portion of that group by four shots after a 65 (-7). While Billy Ballard and Ricky Bourne share third place on the gross leaderboard for the Legends Division, they lead the net battle at 69 (-3).

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Golf House Kentucky will have full coverage of the final round on its Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages. Attendance to the event is free of charge and encouraged.

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