Josh Speight (left), Jake Griffin (middle), and Billy Peel (right) tee off during the second round of the 105th Maryland Open.
Silver Spring, Md. – Temperatures rose, and so did the tension during the second round of the 105th Maryland Open. After two rounds of play, 47 players made the cut and advanced to Wednesday’s championship round at Argyle Country Club.
How We Got Here:
Josh Speight of The Club at Viniterra holds the lead following Monday’s opening round after firing a seven-under-par 64 to take a one-stroke advantage over Argyle Country Club’s Jake Griffin, who set the pace early with a six-under-par 65. Clayton Gregory and Ryan Smith, both of Baltimore Country Club, sat two shots off the lead at five-under-par 66, while seven players tied for fifth at four-under-par 67, leaving 11 players separated by just three strokes heading into Tuesday’s second round.
Second Round of the 105th Maryland Open
Josh Speight, the leader heading into the second round, began his day in the morning wave off the 1st hole. After carding a birdie on the 1st during Monday’s round, Speight began Tuesday with a bogey. The 2020 Maryland Open Champion quickly rebounded with a birdie on the 2nd and added another on the 8th. Speight played his second nine bogey-free to finish with a one-under-par 70 and move to eight-under-par 134 overall for a share of the lead.
2021 Maryland Open Champion Jake Griffin put together a similarly steady round after starting on the 10th. Griffin carded consecutive birdies on the 11th and 12th before a bogey on the 13th. He added another birdie on the 18th to make the turn at two-under-par. Griffin played his second nine bogey-free to close out a two-under-par 69 and join Speight at eight-under-par 134 heading into the championship round.
Billy Peel of Columbia Country Club vaulted into a share of the lead with a four-under-par 67. Peel got off to a tough start with a bogey on his opening hole, but immediately responded with consecutive birdies on the 2nd and 3rd. After bogeys on the 6th and 8th, he finished his first nine with a birdie on the 9th. Peel carried that momentum into his second nine with consecutive birdies on the 10th and 11th before closing his round with back-to-back birdies on the 17th and 18th. His strong finish moved him to eight-under-par 134 overall and into a three-way tie atop the leaderboard.
Three players sit just one stroke back heading into the championship round: Gregory Pieczynski of George Mason University, defending champion Benton Weinberg of TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm, and Joseph Murray of Argyle Country Club.
Weinberg made one of the biggest moves of the day, climbing 32 spots on the leaderboard with an eight-under-par 63. The defending champion opened his round on the 10th with consecutive birdies before adding another pair on the 14th and 15th and a fifth birdie on the 17th to make the turn at five-under-par. Weinberg continued his surge with back-to-back birdies on the 1st and 2nd and added another on the 4th. His bogey-free round moved him to seven-under-par 135 overall and within one stroke of the lead entering Wednesday’s championship round.
Pieczynski carded six birdies against three bogeys to finish with a three-under-par 68 and move to seven-under-par 135 overall. Murray matched that total with four birdies against one bogey, also posting a three-under-par 68 to earn a share of fourth place at seven-under-par 135 overall.
The championship round tees off Wednesday, July 15, at 7:30 a.m. For updates and further information regarding the tournament, please visit the Tournament Webpage.
MSGA Mission
To serve, grow, and advance the game of golf in Maryland and the District of Columbia.
