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Harbold shoots 67 at club pros' national championship

It has been quite a busy season thus far for Rusty Harbold because he happens to work at Lancaster Country Club, the site of next week's U.S. Women's Open.

It has been quite a busy season thus far for Rusty Harbold because he happens to work at Lancaster Country Club, the site of next week's U.S. Women's Open.

Harbold, an assistant pro at the club, had found it difficult to find some solid practice time because of his duties in helping to get the facility ready. He finally got that chance last week and put in three days of good work at Philadelphia Cricket Club before the PGA Professional National Championship.

The practice paid off for Harbold, 33, who shot the lowest round of the event at the Cricket Club's Wissahickon course, a 3-under-par 67 Monday, and jumped 146 spots in the standings, into a tie for 47th place at 3-over-par 145.

The 36-hole lead in the national championship for club professionals belonged to 24-year-old Ben Polland, an assistant pro at Deepdale Golf Club in Manhasset, N.Y. Polland fired a 67 at the Wissahickon course for a 7-under 135 total and a 4-stroke lead over Grant Sturgeon of Cave City, Ky., and Charles Frost of Johns Island, S.C.

Harbold, the winner of the 2014 Haverford Trust Classic, called the activity at the club "busy" and "crazy" but also "kind of cool." But the practice time he received helped greatly.

"I was able to take a few days off from work and I practiced Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I haven't been able to practice three good days in a row like that in a while. So the swing started feeling good" Sunday and Monday.

Harbold started quickly with a 25-foot birdie putt from off the green at No. 1. Four birdies and a bogey followed, plus a number of good par saves.

After two rounds, Harbold stood a stroke behind John Pillar, director of golf at Woodloch Springs, who had a 1-under 71 at the Militia Hill course for a 144 total.

Pillar also has been busy. He has had many responsibilities as president of the Philadelphia Section PGA, the host section for this event, plus his oldest child graduated from high school. He had played one competitive round in June coming into this event.

"There's a lot of internal pressure to play well as the host section," he said. "So I'm really happy I'm going to get to play more than two days. That was really my goal. I wasn't sure how that was going to pan out. So far, so good."

Five of the 13 Philadelphia section entries made the 36-hole cut of 5-over 147. Also qualifying were Joshua Rackley of Gulph Mills, John Lynch of Wild Quail and Robby Bruns of Merion.

Dave McNabb of Applebrook, who has qualified for the last two PGA Championships, bogeyed his last hole and missed the cut by one. George Forster of Radnor Valley saw his chances disappear with a double bogey on his next-to-last hole.

A total of 100 players will compete Tuesday at Wissahickon. The field will be cut again to the low 70 and ties for Wednesday's final round.

Second-Round Scores

(W-Wissahickon, par 70; M-Militia Hill, par 72)

Ben Polland, Manhasset, N.Y. M68-W67-135

Grant Sturgeon, Cave City, Ky.. . . M70-W69-139

Charles Frost, S.C.. . . W72-M67-139

Joe Leonard, Wisconsin Rapids. . . M70-W70-140

Steven Young, Midland, Texas. . . M69-W71-140

Shawn Warren, Maine. . . M68-W72-140

Mark Brown, Glen Head, N.Y.. . . M72-W68-140

Rob Labritz, Pound Ridge, N.Y.. . . M69-W71-140

Brent Snyder, Hudson, Wis.. . . M72-W69-141

Steve Scott, New City, N.Y.. . . W72-M69-141

Shane Zywiec, Seward, Neb.. . . M68-W73-141

Matt Dobyns, Glen Head, N.Y.. . . M72-W69-141

Kyle Voska, Littleton, Colo.. . . M68-W73-141

Alan Morin, Palm Beach, Fla.. . . W70-M72-142

Austin Peters, Simi Valley, Cal.. . . M68-W74-142

Ben Krug, Sunland, Calif.. . . W72-M70-142

Jamie Bruce, Ottawa Hills, Ohio. . . M72-W70-142

Darren Black, Renton, Wash.. . . W72-M70-142

Judd Gibb, W. Des Moines . . . W70-M72-142

Eddie Wynne, Oakdale, Minn.. . . W72-M70-142

Brian Gaffney, Monmouth, N.J. . . M73-W69-142

Rick Schuller, Chester, Va.. . . M73-W69-142

Philadelphia Section PGA scores

John Pillar, Woodloch Springs . . . W73-M71-144

Rusty Harbold, Lancaster . . . M78-W67-145

Josh Rackley, Gulph Mills. . . M73-W72-145

John Lynch, Wild Quail . . . M75-W71-146

Robby Bruns, Merion. . . W73-M74-147

*Dave Quinn, Links. . . W75-M74-149

*Dave McNabb, Applebrook. . . W76-M72-148

*George Forster, Radnor Valley. . . M75-W75-150

*John Bierkan, Aronimink. . . M78-W72-150

*Stu Ingraham, M-Golf. . . M75-W78-153

*Mark Sheftic, Merion. . . W75-M79-154

*Don Allan, Burlington. . . W78-M76-154

*Mike Moses, Concord . . . M82-W75-157

*-Missed 36-hole cut