SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Curt Byrum is on track to repeat as champion of the 66th Arizona Open Championship at Desert Mountain Golf Club, but has plenty of company on the leader board, including two former Arizona State golfers and a pair of talented amateurs.
Byrum, 51, shot 67 Friday on the Apache Course to maintain the lead in the second round of the 54-hole event at 14-under 130. Former ASU golfer Braxton Marquez matched Byrum’s score, leaving him 2 shots behind, and another former Sun Devil, Kendall Critchfield, is 3 shots back after a 69.
“I’ve been able to hit fairways, but most importantly, my putting has been really good,” Byrum said. “That has surprised me because I haven’t been playing much golf. Today, I had one bad swing, which probably was the only bad swing all week, and it cost me a couple shots.”
Byrum, a Golf Channel analyst and former PGA Tour winner, played the back nine first. After making the turn, he knocked in birdies on holes 1, 2, 3 and 5, but took a double bogey on the par-4 sixth when an errant shot disappeared into the desert. It was the only hole out of 36 where Byrum has failed to make par or better.
Byrum and Critchfield both made the turn at 12-under but Critchfield played his back nine in 1-over to fall 3 shots back. Austyn Karle, a Desert Mountain member and Pepperdine golfer, shot 65 and Tucson amateur David McDaniel carded a 64, leaving them 4 shots behind.
Marquez, 22, recently turned pro after completing his ASU career, and plans to enter PGA Tour Qualifying School this fall. He made news in February when he Monday-qualified for the Waste Management Phoenix Open and made the cut.
He gained national attention when stories emerged about his involvement with the Phoenix Open as a kid, working at the famous par-3 16th hole and helping his late father, who had catered tournament skyboxes for several years.
Byrum knows Marquez well, but for other reasons.
“He and my son attended the same high school,” Byrum said. “From all that I can see he is really a fine young man and he has shown that he knows how to play this game.”
While Byrum has made it look easy the past two years, the Apache Course has not been a pushover, as the cut came at 3-over 147. Others within striking distance include Don Yrene, Brett Guetz, Mike Ferris, Brady Stockton and Craig Hocknull, all at 7-under 137.
Byrum said he will need to keep up his solid putting to prevail in the event sanctioned by the Southwest Section of the PGA. The tournament offers a $50,000 purse, with a winner’s share of $6,500.
“You obviously need to keep making putts in order to keep making birdies, and you probably can’t win it if you don’t,” Byrum said. “Unless the wind really blows, and I don’t think that’s in the forecast, I would expect to have to shoot some pretty good numbers in the final round. So that’s the goal, to shoot as low as I possibly can and hope that it’s good enough against some good young players.”
Par and Total Yardage By Division
Desert Mountain- Apache(Par: 72 Distance: 7211)
============================================================ Results for contest Arizona Open: ============================================================ 1 Curt Byrum Scottsdale, AZ 63-67--130 -14 2 Braxton Marquez Scottsdale, AZ 65-67--132 -12 T3 Kendall Critchfield Tempe, AZ 64-69--133 -11 T3 Austyn Karle (A) Scottsdale, AZ 68-65--133 -11 5 David McDaniel (A) Tucson, AZ 70-64--134 -10 T6 Don Yrene Scottsdale, AZ 71-66--137 -7 T6 Brett Guetz Scottsdale, AZ 68-69--137 -7 T6 Mike Ferris Scottsdale, AZ 71-66--137 -7 T6 Brady Stockton Cave Creek, AZ 66-71--137 -7 T6 Craig Hocknull Gilbert, AZ 70-67--137 -7 T11 Ron Schroeder Montgomery, TX 69-69--138 -6 T11 Boyd Summerhays Scottsdale, AZ 67-71--138 -6 T13 Paul Trittler Scottsdale, AZ 66-73--139 -5 T13 Nick Obie Scottsdale, AZ 68-71--139 -5 T13 David Dragoo Scottsdale, AZ 67-72--139 -5 T13 Tim McKenney Scottsdale, AZ 69-70--139 -5 T13 Joseph Penaflor Phoenix, AZ 71-68--139 -5 T13 Aaron Weston Scottsdale, AZ 68-71--139 -5 T19 Tommy Medina Mesa, AZ 70-70--140 -4 T19 Thomas Buran (A) Scottsdale, AZ 69-71--140 -4 T19 Barry Conser Phoenix, AZ 71-69--140 -4 T19 Scott Frisch Scottsdale, AZ 68-72--140 -4 T23 Dean Vomacka Phoenix, AZ 71-70--141 -3 T23 Colter Kautzmann Litchfield Park, AZ 73-68--141 -3 T23 Rodney Hamblin Phoenix, AZ 70-71--141 -3 T23 Casey Bourque Phoenix, AZ 71-70--141 -3 T23 Greg Bruckner Phoenix, AZ 70-71--141 -3 T28 Don Littrell Tucson, AZ 70-72--142 -2 T28 Blayne Hobbs Anthem, AZ 68-74--142 -2 T28 Eric Johnson Chandler, AZ 69-73--142 -2 T28 Jeremy DeFalco (A) Tucson, AZ 71-71--142 -2 T28 Dale Abraham Phoenix, AZ 72-70--142 -2 T33 Jason Magee Phoenix, AZ 70-73--143 -1 T33 Stephen Conrad Phoenix, AZ 71-72--143 -1 T33 Bobby Pancratz Chandler, AZ 72-71--143 -1 T33 Patrick Jenkins Jr Chandler, AZ 73-70--143 -1 T33 Benoit Beisser Scottsdale, AZ 71-72--143 -1 T38 Justin Searles Gilbert, AZ 74-70--144 E T38 Jeff Yurkiewicz Phoenix, AZ 73-71--144 E T38 Mike Franko Scottsdale, AZ 72-72--144 E T38 Bob Pancratz Chandler, AZ 73-71--144 E T38 Brady Exber (A) Las Vegas, NV 73-71--144 E T38 Mike Nicolette Scottsdale, AZ 74-70--144 E T38 Randy Wittig Cave Creek, AZ 71-73--144 E T45 Wade Dunagan Tucson, AZ 73-72--145 +1 T45 Dalen Linnerson Tempe, AZ 75-70--145 +1 T45 Scott Foster Anthem, AZ 73-72--145 +1 T48 Darren Fletcher Cave Creek, AZ 73-73--146 +2 T48 Ron Stelten Palm Desert, CA 75-71--146 +2 T48 Jeff Nichols Mesa, AZ 67-79--146 +2 T51 Khris Niess Scottsdale, AZ 71-76--147 +3 T51 Ralph West Avondale, AZ 74-73--147 +3 T51 David Shearer Peoria, AZ 73-74--147 +3 T51 Chris Dompier Tucson, AZ 72-75--147 +3 T51 Chris Hantla Chandler, AZ 74-73--147 +3 T51 Jimmy Kozikowski (A) Mesa, AZ 72-75--147 +3 T51 Chris Endres Anthem, AZ 75-72--147 +3 T51 Brant Kummerfeld Phoenix, AZ 72-75--147 +3 T51 Danny Edwards Scottsdale, AZ 70-77--147 +3 T51 Brent Griffin Phoenix, AZ 75-72--147 +3 T51 Mark Coward Mesa, AZ 73-74--147 +3
