Denby Carswell, Dustin Franko Share 36-hole Lead At B.C. Amateur
First Round Co-Leader Dustin Franko - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf
By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf
PARKSVILLE — One is just beginning his collegiate golf career in his home town of Burnaby, while the other just finished his a long way from his Delta roots.
Denby Carswell and Dustin Franko played together the first two rounds of the B.C. Amateur Championship and will again in Thursday’s third round as co-leaders of the tournament.
Franko, a 22-year-old who just graduated with a business degree from the University of Hawai-Hilo, sits at six-under par after his second straight 69 at Morningstar Golf Course. Carswell, a 19-year-old who is a member of the Simon Fraser University golf team, shot a two-under 70 to reach six-under.
Although he has shot identical scores the first days, Franko said the rounds felt quite different. “I was more consistent today,” Franko said.
“I played a lot better golf today. Today the putter got hot. I made a 10-footer on the first hole, made a 35-footer on the second hole and it seemed like nothing outside 15 feet didn’t fall today. At least it felt that way.” Not surprisingly, Franko said he had a wonderful time playing in Hawaii. He transferred there after spending one year at Douglas College.
“It was a great experience,” he said of his life on Hawaii’s Big Island. “I mean, I got to see different parts of the world, I got to go to Japan for the first time with the team. We had a good team down there and I enjoyed my time. I wouldn’t change anything.”
Two of Franko’s Hawaii teammates, Keith Ng of Richmond and Junsu Im of Langley, are also playing at Morningstar this week. Carswell red-shirted with Simon Fraser last season and hopes to begin travelling with the team this year. He thinks the experience he’s gaining this week and his solid play will bode well for him this fall.
For now, however, he is focused on the next two days. “I pretty much want to keep doing what I have been doing the last two days,” said Carswell. “Hitting lots of greens, making lots of putts and keeping the bogeys off the card.” He’s happy to be playing at least one more round with Franko.
“I didn’t really know him too well before this week, but I have got to know hIm a lot better the last two days,” Carswell said. “He’s a great person to play with.”
There is a familiar name lurking just behind Franko and Carswell at what is the 121st playing of the B.C. Amateur. Here’s a hint: He’s the guy who won the 117th and 120th editions of the championship.
Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf
Co-Leader Of The BC Amateur After Round Two, Denby Carswell
Victoria’s Jackson Rothwell started his round with an eagle, birdied his next two holes and just like that he was right back in the thick of things. Rothwell carded a four-under 68 and sits at four-under at the halfway mark of the tournament. He’s tied for third with Vernon’s Cooper Humphreys, just two shots behind the leaders.
Rothwell had a hot start to his round. He eagled his first hole — the par 5 10th — and birdied his next two to go four-under through his first four holes. His eagle came when he holed a shot out of a greenside bunker.
“I actually had my head down when it dropped,” Rothwell said. “I thought it had hit the pin and come back and I’d have a tap-in birdie which I would have been happy with. That was a pleasant surprise.
“It was a good start, I was hot out of the gate, but I kind of cooled off on the back nine. . .I needed to get myself back in the tournament. I am kind of at the end of a long stretch of golf here, so dealing with the fatigue at the end of rounds is kind of the biggest challenge for me this week. I kind of ran out of steam at the end of the round today.”
Although he is a life-long Vancouver Island resident, Rothwell is getting his first look at Morningstar this week. “It’s tricky, especially with how the tees have been moved up. You can’t really get too set in your game plan because everything is subject to change. I know Greg (rules chair Greg Moody) is going to set it up very difficult the final two days for us, as he always does. I am looking forward to what he has in store for us.”
Humphreys shot the low round of the tournament — a five-under 67 — to move into contention. He will play in the final group in the third round with Franko and Carswell. “I hit it really good on the front nine,” Humphreys said. “I actually putted awful, but I just stayed patient and didn’t make any mistakes. I had six birdies and just the one bogey.”
Zachary Ryujin of North Vancouver, Jace Minni of Delta and David Gomes of Surrey are tied for fifth at three-under par. Aidan Schumer, an Ohio native who plays for the University of B.C., had an interesting second round. He shot a three-under 69 despite some nasty blisters on the bottom of both feet that forced him to play two holes barefoot. “We had a little bit of an emergency out there,” Schumer said after his round. “We hit a few shots barefoot on No. 12 and 13.”
Schumer got some relief when Moody arrived with some bandages. The 36-hole cut fell at nine-over par and 74 players survived to play the final two rounds.
Click HERE for complete scoring and 3rd round tee times.
CHIP SHOTS: A 36-hole Zone competition was won by the Zone 5 team of Kevin Carrigan, Alex Cartwright and Brock Holland, all of Victoria. Their score of six-over par was three shots better than the Zone 4 team of Dustin Franko of Delta, Mackenzie Bickell of Richmond and Dylan Bercan of Vancouver. . .Third-round play begins at 7:30 a.m. and the leaders tee off at 11:30 a.m.