Guthrie follows trend, backs up to field

Illinois' Luke Guthrie

RUMFORD, R.I. – One thing that has become constant in the Northeast Amateur Invitational over the past dozen or so years: shoot a tournament-record round and be in store for a 10-stroke swing.

Luke Guthrie, a rising senior at Illinois, broke the single-round tournament scoring record Wednesday with an 8-under par 61. He came back in Round 2 Thursday with a 2-over 71, making two birdies, two bogeys and a (ouch) double bogey at the par-4 seventh hole.

Interestingly enough, in 1998, when Michael Harris shot 62 in the second round to break John Cook’s tournament record of 63 (shot in 1979), he followed with a 72. But he closed with a 70 to hold on for a one-stroke victory.

In 2007, Billy Horschel equaled Harris’ 62 in his second round, only to go 10 strokes higher the next day. Horschel then closed with a 8-over 77 and tied for fourth.

“When you shoot a round like (61), it’s pretty tough to come back and match something like that,” Guthrie said. “Of course I would have liked to played a little better, but it was a grind out there (Thursday). I didn’t play all that well, but there’s still two more rounds to go.”