Siegler Sits Three Ahead After Round Two
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. (August 24, 2022) -- Ryan Siegler of TPC Jasna Polana left little doubt that he would be in the final group on Thursday, carding a course-record-tying 8-under 63 during round two of the 107th Met Open Championship Presented by Callaway at Bethpage Black. Siegler made nine birdies and just one bogey en route to his 63, which ties the lowest second round in Met Open history.
“You don't expect to shoot a number like that on this course," said the 28-year-old Siegler post-round. "To shoot a number like that you have to be playing pretty well. I'd been driving it well coming into this week. I just kept doing that and finally the putts started to fall. I think I made three putts outside of 20-feet on my front nine."
Siegler started on the back nine and immediately birdied the Nos. 10 and 11 to kickstart his round.
"It was a great way to start my round and that gives you a lot of momentum," said Siegler. "To also make birdie on the first hole after making the turn was big because that just continued my strong round onto the back nine."
The Towson grad made bogey on the 17th, his lone blemish on the scorecard, before rolling through the front nine—his closing nine—with birdies on Nos. 1, 3, 4, 6 and 7.
“That birdie on one was also big,” said Seigler. “To shoot a solid nine is one thing, but that continued the momentum into the back. It’s a true major championship golf course and I just put myself in good position to make birdie all day.”
Siegler wasn't the only golfer to go low during the morning round. Playing together, Dylan Newman of Brae Burn and Michael Graboyes of Watchung Valley shot 7-under 65 and 5-under 67, respectively. Newman birdied five of nine holes on the front nine and his lone bogey came on the par-4 16th.
"I didn't really have a number in mind coming into the day," said Newman. "I made birdies on five, six, and seven and that's when I thought that this could be a special day. I was able to make an adjustment with my putting and I didn't miss many fairways at all."
Newman started the day at 3-over, but now sits in fourth place at 4-under after two rounds.
Graboyes was 1-under after his round Tuesday and his 66 in round two places him in a tie for second with 2014 MGA Player of the Year David Pastore of the Golf Performance Center. Pastore said he was sloppier in round two than he was in round one, but still feels like the tournament is right in front of him. Graboyes used a key stretch from the fourth through the sixth holes as a catalyst for his round.
"Four was a true Bethpage birdie," said the past Ike champion Graboyes. "I hit it in the right rough, punched out and hit my third shot on the green to give myself a chance to make a putt. I wasn't too good off the tee, but I caught a few breaks in the rough and just kept giving myself chances to make putts."
Despite what he didn’t feel like was a great round, Pastore still sits in a prime position heading into the final round.
“I said before this week started that I would need three rounds under par to win,” said Pastore, who played in the final pairing last year alongside Andrew Svoboda. “I’m going to come out tomorrow and try to clean a few things up but just continue to play my game and try to make some birdies.”
Two-time reigning MGA Player of the Year Mark Costanza of Hamilton Farm sits seven shots back of Siegler after a 3-under second round. He sits as the low amateur through two rounds, with Matt Lowe of Bethpage sitting three shots back.
Last year’s Met Open runner-up, Tom Lovelady of Silo Ridge, is in a group at 1-under for the tournament.
Just nine players are under par as tomorrow will feature 55 golfers who made the 36-hole cut. Despite the low scores from the top players in round two, the second round featured fewer players under par than round one.
The field will be competing for the largest purse in Met Open history continues. It was increased $50,000 to $200,000 overall this season, with the winner's share increasing to $36,500.
Bethpage Black is hosting the Met Open Championship for the fourth time, previously crowning notable champions Bob Rittberger (2010), Johnson Wagner (2001), and Bobby Heins (1989).
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