Black Leads At Michigan Open After Second Round

Otto Black of Clarkston Takes Lead in Hall Financial Michigan Open at Shanty Creek Resort

  BELLAIRE – Clarkston pro Otto Black has been striking the ball well in mini-tour events while waiting patiently for putts to start falling.

  His patience was rewarded when the putts fell in a 7-under 64 Tuesday, which lifted him into the lead in the Hall Financial Michigan Open Championship presented by Make The Turn and Harbor Title Agency at Shanty Creek Resort’s Cedar River Course.

  His 11-under 131 total through two rounds put him just ahead of Yuqi Liu of Ann Arbor, the former University of Michigan golfer playing in his first tournament as a professional. Liu shot 65 for 132.

   “I started putting well on the back nine (Monday) so I just kind of carried that to today and kept going with it,” said Black, who is 31 and a former Michigan Tournament of Champions winner. “I’ve been driving it well, putting the ball in play. Just needed the putter to get going, and it definitely worked well today.”

   Nick Krueger of Spring Lake, a second-year pro and the 2022 Michigan Amateur Champion, shot 65 to stand third at 133.

  First-round leader Shea Harmeson of Traverse City and Kansas State University made bogey on his last two holes in a 71. He was tied at 135 with West Bloomfield amateur Zak Kozuchowski, who shot 70.

  Five golfers checked in at 6-under 136, including Howell mini-tour pro Beau Breault who shot 70, Traverse City mini-tour pro Alex Scott who shot 67, Clarkston mini-tour pro Patrick Deardorff who shot 65, and Caleb Bond of Williamston and Michigan State University who matched the 64 of Black for low round of the day.

  The 36-hole cut was at 4-over 146 with 70 players moving on to Wednesday’s third round. The 108th edition of the state championship continues through Thursday.

   Black’s 64 was highlighted by a 5-under 30 on the back nine that finished with an eagle-3 on the par 5 18th hole. He holed out with a 92-yard wedge shot.

   “I had a nice little wedge there, got lucky and it fell in,” he said. “I had some good looks for birdie all day. I just have to keep the putter working.”

  Black, 31, said he has been traveling and playing the mini-tour circuit and is planning to go to qualifying school for the European Tour and the Korn Ferry Tour in the fall.

   “I’ve been practicing like crazy, and I’ve been close and had some good events in recent weeks,” he said. “So, I’m not too surprised by the 64 today. The work has been there. It’s nice to see it pay off.”

   He said the Michigan Open is a tournament he circles on the calendar each year.

  “This is a big event to me,” he said. “Long way to go, but I’m going for it.”

  Liu, a native of Beijing who played high school golf in Canada before coming to the University of Michigan on a golf scholarship, said he was pleased with his professional debut.

  “I feel good about my college career, and I know I’m good enough to play professional golf, so I wanted to get out here, have fun and see what happens,” he said. “I made a lot of good putts today. You have to pick a good club off the tee here. It’s pretty tight. Then you have to make some good putts.”

   Liu said being near the lead doesn’t change his plan.

  “I’m going to try to do the same things, go out and just have fun and enjoy every shot,” he said. “I’m not trying to think of the leaderboard, until maybe the last couple of holes on the final day. I just want to shoot as low as I can.”