Selfridge leads New Year’s Invitational in Florida

Chris Selfridge, pictured during the 2013 Irish Close in Connemara, is leading the prestigious New Year’s Invitational Tournament at halfway. Picture courtesy Pat Cashman

Reigning North of Ireland champion Chris Selfridge has a one-stroke lead midway through the 89th edition of the prestigious New Year’s Invitational Tournament in Florida.

The University of Toledo star, a member of Ireland's Home International winning side last year and already a four-time championship winner domestically, fired a second successive two-under 70 at St. Petersburg Country Club to lead on four under par from Michael McGowan, a recent graduate of the North Carolina, and Brandon Pierce, a sophomore from LSU.

Notable players in the top 10 include 2014 U.S. Amateur champion Gunn Yang, who is three behind after rounds of 74-69, tied for fifth with defending champion Sam Horsfield, a 2015 Florida signee. Scores

Former winners of the event, which has been played since 1927, include Johnny Revolta (1928), Masters winner Bob Goalby (1958), Lenny Mattiace (1986), J. B. Holmes (2003), Brandt Snedeker (2004), Jeff Overton (2005) and Peter Uihlein (2009).

Selfridge, who heads for the South American Amateur in Peru later this month, is set to finish up in college soon and plans to play a full-time amateur schedule.

Winner of the East of Ireland and Irish Close titles in 2012, the Moyola Park star retained the North of Ireland Amateur Championship last year and made it to the last 32 in the British Amateur at Royal Portrush.

A potential Walker Cup candidate, he's made eight birdies, two bogeys and a double in windy conditions the first two rounds as he searches for early season form.

Another good day on the golf course. Nice to have the halfway lead in first event of 2015.

— Chris Selfridge (@selfridgec595) January 9, 2015

PLAYER		RD 1	RD 2	TOTAL
Selfridge	Chris	70	70	140
McGowan	Michael	72	69	141
Pierce	Brandon	71	70	141
Carlson	Brian	72	70	142
Schlottman	Ben	72	70	142
Yang	Gunn	74	69	143
Matthew	Sam	73	70	143
Horsfield	Sam	72	71	143
Dingus	Dustin	73	71	144
Czhury	Drew	73	72	145
Smallwood	Stuart	71	74	145
Stanger	James	77	69	146
Liu	Jim	74	72	146
Orr	Ryan	74	72	146
Tate	Kyler	74	72	146
Kelly	Sean	72	75	147
Shealy	Kyle	71	76	147
Padova	Austin	78	70	148
Black	Otto	76	72	148
Clark	James	76	72	148
Quintessenza	Anthony	76	72	148
Tabuchi	Taiga	75	73	148
Donegan	Richard	72	76	148
DiMarco	Cristian	77	72	149
Kevorkian	Jake	76	73	149
Powell	Austin	76	73	149
Doyle	Brendon	75	74	149
Lehman	J.D	75	74	149
Winslow	Joseph	74	75	149
Cooper	Brett	73	76	149
MacDonald	Stuart	71	78	149
Weldon	Kyle	69	80	149
Russell	Sam	78	72	150
Davenport	William	76	74	150
Stallings	Stephen Jr	76	74	150
Wajda	Eddie	75	75	150
Weber	Matthew	75	75	150
Painton	Spencer	74	76	150
Pisciotta	Michael	74	76	150
Dyer	Blake	73	77	150
Kuehler	Dirk	73	77	150
McConnell	Miles	73	77	150
Seger	Will	72	78	150
Kollin	Max	78	73	151
Poole	Ashton	78	73	151
McQuiston	Edward	76	75	151
Trim	Joseph	74	77	151
Walker	Danny	79	73	152
Brown	Jake	78	74	152
French	Tripp	76	76	152
Gaudette	Sean	76	76	152
Brennan	Daniel	75	77	152
Schweizer	Philippe	79	74	153
Phillips	Chad	78	75	153
Ng	Brandon	76	77	153
Cho	Justin	81	73	154
Leadbetter	James	79	75	154
Reed	Spencer	79	75	154
Porter	Greyson	77	77	154
Reilly	Greg	76	78	154
Jones	Jimmy	81	74	155
Sparrow	Jack	79	76	155
Trim	Lucas	78	77	155
Vannucci	Troy	78	77	155
Havill	Andrew	77	78	155
Whaley	Vinsent	75	80	155
O’Rourke	Connor	80	76	156
Nix	Morgan	79	77	156
Puffer	MIke	78	78	156
Barco	Luis Fernando	83	74	157
Vea	Keegan	83	74	157
Wagner	Ethan	82	75	157
Mosely	Ryan	81	76	157
Simpson	Hank	81	76	157
Joseph	Colin	80	77	157
O’Bryan	Thomas	80	77	157
Oliver	Karim	80	77	157
Stark	Zach	80	77	157
Gonring	Nathan	78	79	157
Decker	Johnny	77	80	157
Burge	Alex	73	84	157
Frerichs	Ryder	83	75	158
Lahmar	Marco	79	79	158
Hernandez	Jose	78	80	158
Proctor	Colin	83	76	159
Cichan	Christian	82	77	159
Heinicka	Jeffrey	82	78	160
Ball	Winston	81	79	160
Lynch	Ryan	79	81	160
Butler	Michael	83	78	161
Campbell	Conner	83	79	162
Tahy	Alec	83	79	162
Daukaus	Julius	82	80	162
Werenski	Mickey	81	81	162
Warnquist	Ben	74	88	162
Usry	Evan	89	77	166
Toste	Zachary	86	80	166
Coontz	Thad	90	78	168
Wolfe	Cameron	84	84	168
Crum	John	87	83	170
Thomas	Luke	86	84	170
Sanchez	Nilo	87	84	171
White	John	88	84	172
Firpi	Alberto	87	86	173
Chang	Peter	92	86	178

MID-AM DIVISION		RD 1	RD 2	TOTAL
McConnell	Miles	73	77	150
Vannucci	Troy	78	77	155
Nix	Morgan	79	77	156
Puffer	MIke	78	78	156
Frerichs	Ryder	83	75	158
Ball	Winston	81	79	160
Daukaus	Julius	82	80	162
Coontz	Thad	90	78	168
Crum	John	87	83	170
White	John	88	84	172