Joe Affrunti is familiar with golf tournaments that turn into birdie festivals.
Earlier this year, he shot 24 under par at the Chiquita Classic in Cincinnati. And he lost by three strokes to Tommy Gainey.
Affrunti is in the mix in a birdie festival again. The 29-year-old from outside Chicago leads the Chattanooga Classic at 14-under-par 130 after shooting a 6-under 66 on Friday. He shot two strokes better Thursday.
“I hit the ball just as good, but I didn’t birdie either of the par-5s on the back, which is pretty ridiculous,” Affrunti said. “I hit it just as good and I putted just well. The two par-5s are the only difference.”
Affrunti started his day with birdies on Nos. 10 and 11 before making nine straight pars. He then birdied five of his final seven holes with a bogey thrown in the mix.
“I played well at Cincy, and in all the tournaments I’ve won I’ve made a lot of birdies, so I know I can do it,” Affrunti said. “Now it’s a matter of actually doing it.”
Ryan Armour and Ted Potter Jr. share second place at 133, which gives Affrunti the largest 36-hole lead in tournament history.
“I holed some putts between 12 and 15 feet, which is where you’ll be putting from if you’re playing well,” said Armour, whose 65 was the lowest round of the day. “My caddie and I have a philosophy to try and put a 6 in the front of the card every day and that’s a good day.
“I’ll wake up tomorrow and somebody else will be leading by the time I tee off.”
Potter had a day full of highs and lows.
He was 3 over through four holes and shot 38 on the back after starting on No. 10. But he made the turn and turned on his birdie-making machine. He birdied six of seven holes, including five straight, before closing with a bogey on No. 9.
“I had some lows and it started out rough,” Potter said. “I tried to stay positive even though that back nine has some tough holes. Then I made some putts on the front and every putt looked like it was going in, and if it didn’t it was close.”
David Branshaw and William McGirt are tied for fourth at 134, and seven others are tied for sixth at 135. Those include Scott Parel, who graduated from the University of Georgia in 1986. But he didn’t play golf for the Bulldogs. He used his education and became a software developer for 10 years before giving professional golf a whirl.
“Golf is nice when you’re playing well and paying the bills,” Parel said. “That software job, though, pays a lot of bills real well. I’m fortunate to have a wife who told me, ‘Go do it.'”
Ringgold’s Luke List shot a 1-over 73 and dropped to a tie for 37th place. John Kimbell, who recently moved to San Antonio from LaFayette, Ga., are the only golfers with area ties to make the cut. They’re paired together today and will tee off at 10:15 off No. 1.
First-round leader Todd Demsey, who shot a 62 Thursday, tumbled down the leaderboard after shooting a 75 on Friday.
“Where everything went right yesterday, everything went the wrong way today,” Demsey said. “It was two complete extremes. It’s a really disappointing day, and it would be one thing if I played terrible, but I really didn’t.”
Affrunti and Armour will be paired in the final group today, beginning at 1:10 p.m.
“The scoreboard doesn’t really matter until the back nine on Sunday,” Affrunti said. “If you have the lead or are close to it then, that’s when it’s exciting.
“Right now, you still have to play because anything can happen.”