Rusty Harbold makes a bold move at PNC golf event

SO HOW MANY golfers can ever say they moved up 146 places on the leaderboard, which meant passing almost half the field, in one round?

Probably not too many. But now you can include Rusty Harbold, an assistant pro at Lancaster Country Club, which next week will host the U.S. Women's Open. He's one of the 13 players from the Philadelphia Section competing in the 72-hole PGA Professional National Championship at Philadelphia Cricket Club. Yesterday he shot a 3-under par 67 at the original Wissahickon Course, the tougher of the two being used for the first two rounds. That's tied for the low score on that layout, which underwent an extensive renovation two years ago. It was also 11 less than it took him to get around par-72 Militia Hill on Sunday. Go figure.

"I wish I could tell you [why]," said the 33-year-old Harbold, who went from 193rd to 47th in his PNC debut, 10 off the lead at 3-over 145 yet safely among the 100 (top 90 and ties) at 5-over or better that made the 36-hole cut (20 more will be eliminated after 54). "I just couldn't do anything at Militia, just struggled to score at all. Today I made a lot of putts in the middle of my round that kind of kept me going. Making a couple of birdies early made a world of difference.

"Everyone out here is a good player. So you never know. I'm just happy I could get myself back [in it]. I'm feeling like I played a good round and have a chance [to play two more]. I haven't practiced a lot lately. It's been busy. It seems like a new building is up every day I go to work.''

Next week, of course, it'll be way more hectic. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

"It's kind of cool to see all the change,'' said Harbold, whose lone bogey came on his 17th hole. "It's definitely crazy. I'm really excited, just to see what it all entails. I'll be in the [pro] shop a little bit and I'll be helping on the range. It's going to be fun.

"I've been to one practice round of a [PGA] tour event, Merion for the [2013] Open on a Monday. That's the only real taste I've had of a big event.''

Should he keep this up, in the next 48 hours Harbold might get to experience something else as well, since the top 20 finishers earn a spot in the PGA Championship in August at Whistling Straits. And at this point you really don't know for sure.

John Pillar, from northeastern Pennsylvania, is the Philly section president. He's 2-over after a 71 at Militia Hill, tied for 33rd, a jump of 53 spots. This is his sixth PNC. His best showing was a tie for 34th in 2010.

"There's a lot of internal pressure to play well [here]," said the father of three, whose oldest son graduated from high school last week and is headed to Temple. "I'm really happy to [still] be playing. That was my No. 1 goal. So far, so good. I've got a pretty full plate [with his schedule]. It's been an active spring.

"I'm a firm believer that if I can keep plodding along and don't make any big mistakes, I'll be OK. [My score] could have been much better. I had a lot of [birdie] opportunities. Hopefully the putter can get a lot hotter.''

Three other locals advanced.

Gulph Mills assistant Joshua Rackley, who collected $100,000 last month for winning the Haverford Philadelphia PGA Classic, had a 72 at Wissahickon for 145 despite taking five bogeys in an eight-hole stretch on his closing nine. At 25, he's making his inaugural PNC appearance.

John Lynch (Wyoming, Del.) had missed the cut in his last four PNCs, including last year in Myrtle Beach. He did tie for 76th in his debut in 2004. He's at 146, following a 71 at Militia that equaled his second-best round in this event (in 2010, also on the second day).

And Merion assistant Robby Bruns shot 74 at Militia, despite bogeying five of his last seven holes, for a 147. He missed the cut a year ago as a first-timer.

Applebrook head pro Dave McNabb, who made the PGA the last two years, missed this year's by one by bogeying the last hole at Militia for a 72.

Dave Quinn (director of golf at the Links in Marlton, N.J.) missed by two, George Forster (head pro at Radnor Valley) and John Bierkan (director of instruction at Aronimink) by three.

The guy to catch is 24-year-old Ben Polland (Manhasset, N.Y.), who works for 1995 PNC champion Darrell Kestner at Deepdale Golf Club. The 2014 Metropolitan PGA champ, one of the five 18-hole co-leaders, had a 67 at Wissahickon to get to 7-under 135. That was four better than Grant Sturgeon (assistant at Winged Foot) and Charles Frost (head pro on Kiawah Island, S.C.). There are five others at 140 and five more at 141. One of them is Steven Scott (New York), who lost to Tiger Woods in the memorable 38-hole final at the 1996 U.S. Amateur.

"I actually feel [Wissahickon] is better for my game than Militia," said Polland, whose 17-year-old brother Luke is caddying for him. "I played a practice round with Darrell, and we both liked how it looked, how it allowed you to draw the ball.''

Probably not what the posse needed to hear. Still, there's another game going on. And the third round is known as the true moving day.