KELOWNA, British Columbia—Five players are tied for the lead after two rounds of the GolfBC Championship at Gallagher’s Canyon Golf Club. Sang Lee, Brendan Leonard, Etienne Brault, Callum Davison and Yi Cao are all at 8-under as the tournament heads into moving day.

Of the five players leading the pack, Davison, of Duncan, British Columbia, had the best round of the day, shooting a 4-under, 67, with six birdies and an eagle. Three of his circled numbers came from off the green, including a birdie putt from the fringe to finish his round on No. 9.

“I chipped in on No. 2 and that was the jumpstart for my round,” said Davison, winner of the Brudenell River Classic. “I chipped in again (for eagle) on the par-5 sixth. That was a pretty straightforward chip-in.”

Leonard of Cambridge, Ontario, who won the season-opening Mackenzie Investments Open in Blainville, shot his second consecutive round of 4-under, 67, on the strength of a 31 on the front nine. After making bogey on No. 1, he went on to birdie six of the next seven holes.

“I kind of went on a run and birdied four in a row,” said Leonard. “I made a par on the par-5, and then on the next two, I hit (the approaches) both close. Everything was really close on the front and within 10 feet. The putter was solid within 10 feet all day, so I just rolled them all in.”

Cao didn’t really get anything going until the end of his round. The Delta, British Columbia, resident and native of China, made three birdies and an eagle over the last five holes, including a 35-foot birdie putt on No. 9 to finish his round of 3-under 68.

“I was probably like seven or eight feet of break from left to right,” said Cao. “It was up and downhill. I just wanted to hit the best speed I could and walk out with a par and that would have been fine with me, but luckily, I made the birdie putt.”

It was a 4-under round of 67 for Calgary’s Lee, who said that Thursday was a bit of a grind for him despite the solid score.

“I scrambled hard,” he said. “I used up a lot of energy out there trying to scrape out some pars from short-side areas. I did well to keep myself from making too many bogeys, which gave me the opportunity to finish well.”

Rounding out the leaders is Brault. The Mercier, Quebec, native closed his front nine with a four-birdie run and back-to-back birdies on Nos. 17 and 18. The result? A 3-under 68 that tested his mental fortitude.

“After I three-putted No. 5, I got a little frustrated,” said Brault. “I focused on my routine and staying patient, and I knew that I was playing well and that putts were going to fall, and that’s exactly what happened after that.”

Six more players are tied for sixth place, at 5-under, three shots off the lead.

Key Information

• Thirty-eight players shot under par in the opening round, with 27 firing rounds in the 60s.
• The cut was set at 4-over, with 61 players set to tee it up in Friday’s third round.
• Current points leader, amateur Noah Steele of Kingston, Ontario, tied for the round of the day, shooting a 6-under, 65, including seven birdies. He moved into a tie for 14th, at 3-under. His was a nine-shot improvement over round one.
• Christopher Trunzer of Kelowna also shot a 6-under, 65, making a 10-shot improvement from the first round to the second. Playing in his hometown, Trunzer moved into a tie for 21^st, at 2-under.
• Prince Edward Island Open champion Michael Blair of Ancaster, Ontario, is one of the players tied for sixth, at 5-under, after shooting a 5-under 66, thanks to seven birdies.
• The top-five players on the final Points List will earn 2022 PGA TOUR Canada membership. First place on the Points List will receive fully exempt status for the 2022 PGA TOUR Canada season, while those in the second-through-fifth positions will earn exempt status up until the first reshuffle based on player performance.

Quotable

“I’m a little disappointed in the way I handled myself on No. 12, bogeying the par-5. I was really (frustrated). I should have kept my cool, and I didn’t. I focused after that and kept my cool from then on, and it paid off.” –Etienne Brault

“I’m not going to go out there and try to beat everybody else. I’m just trying to play my own golf and see what happens. At the end of the day, if I play great, I’ll probably win the trophy.” –Yi Cao  

 “I just want to get in that lead, take it and make sure no one can take it away from me.” –Brendan Leonard

 “It’s very scoreable right now as long as you keep (the ball) between the trees. The course isn’t too long, so you don’t have to try to force it down the fairways, which might bring trees into play.” –Sang Lee on Gallagher’s Canyon Golf Club

 Second-Round Weather:

Warm and mostly sunny. High of 23. Wind NW at 26 kph.