Clarksville native Hanley Long is no different than any competitor in the Tennessee Women's Amateur golf tournament that concludes Thursday at Black Creek Club: She would love to win.
But she has a principal reason for relishing winning the 87th rendition of the event. This will be her final golf tournament as an amateur, and her affinity for her state conjures up the feelings.
"I just think it would be a great storyline to finish my amateur career in my home state with a win," she said Wednesday after shooting her second 70 in the event, giving her a 140 aggregate that has the Middle Tennessee State University graduate leading by a shot going into today's final round.
At 141 are 14-year-old Sophie Linder of Carthage, who led the first round with a 68, and University of Tennessee rising sophomore Malia Stovall of Winchester, who matched Long's second-day 70. Kayley Marschke is the only other player under par. The Auburn player also shot a 2-under-par 70 for a 142.
The day's best round belonged to Clarksville's McKinley Cunningham. She carded a 68 to give her a two-round score of 145. University of Tennessee at Chattanooga players Maddy McDanel and Rheagan Hall are at 146 and 147, tied for sixth and ninth. The other two at 146 are defending champion Mariah Smith of UT and Savannah Quick of Manchester and MTSU.
Cleveland teenager Hannah Nall is tied for 13th at 150.
Long will soon to the other side of country to try to qualify for the LPGA Tour. She will seek that quest at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California.
A victory in the Tennessee Amateur would cap an excellent 2018-19 season for her. She was the Conference USA player of the year after compiling two runner-up finishes, three top-fives and four top-10s in her senior season.
"A win would be huge since this is my last amateur event," she said. "I played pretty solid today - no huge mistakes. I was even consistent off the tee, which is normally my biggest weakness."
Long set a single-season record at MTSU with her scoring average of 72.8. She was a first-team All-C-USA choice for the second year in a row. And she earned the MTSU Presidential Award that is a given to a Blue Raiders athlete on the basis of academics, athletics and community service.
"I had a very good support system and a lot of resources," she said.
Long had three birdies and a lone bogey on the day. She birdied holes 6 and 7 on the front and two-putted the par-5 14th on the back for a 4. Her bogey came at the par-4 12th, when she caught a chip thin from the front of the green that left her with a lengthy par putt.
Linder found the going a little rougher than Tuesday. She was still 4 under for the tournament until hitting her drive into the left hazard at the short 15th and finished with a bogey.
Stovall had a couple of opportunities to tie for or even take the lead. After one-putting the par-3 11th from 12 feet for par, she missed two similar birdie putts at 16 and 17.
Nashville's Ann Blackburn led the tournament's flighted division at 156 with a second-day 74. Crossville's Jean Kraft was third at 162 with Chattanooga golfers Darlene Werhnyak and Meg Buchanan tied for fourth at 163 and seventh at 165.
Contact Sam Woolwine at sports@timesfreepress.com.