BRAD HORN/Nevada Appeal Chris Kamin, of Phoenix, Arizona, reacts after missing a putt on the 9th green at Dayton Valley Country Club on Wednesday.
DAYTON - Chris Kamin can't say that he enjoys his return trip to the first stage of PGA qualifying every year. But he does enjoy coming to Dayton Valley Golf Club.
The 31-year-old Kamin of Phoenix, has made his sixth trip to Dayton in his effort to make the PGA Tour. He has had his share of success here, finishing second last year after leading most of the way, and is in position to move on to the next stage of qualifying this year.
"You hate to say you look forward to Q school, but you look forward to coming up here," he said.
The wind picked up on Wednesday, causing scores to soar in the second round after most of the field was able to shoot par or better during ideal conditions for Tuesday's first round.
Not nearly as many players were able to break par on Wednesday, but there were still a number of golfers who were able to handle the conditions. Among them was Kamin, who was one of the golfers who finished under par at 1-under-71.
The most impressive golfer has been Bountiful, Utah's Garrett Clegg, who was able to post his second straight 67 on Wednesday despite the wind. Clegg leads after two rounds with an 10-under 134.
Josh Williams of San Ramon, Calif., moved into a tie for second after a second round 69, giving him a two-day total of 135. Joining him was Tom Kalinowski of Scottsdale, Ariz., who was one of five golfers to post the low score of the day at 67.
First round leader Jeremy Anderson of Scottsdale, Ariz., who fired a 64 on Tuesday, settled for a 72 on Wednesday and was tied for fourth at 136, with Matthew Zions of Denver, Colo.
Former University of Nevada standout Carlos Concha had another solid round, following up his first round 66 with a 71, placing him in a tie for sixth at 137.
The top 19 players plus ties will advance to the second stage of PGA qualifying. Those who advance to the second stage will play for the right to advance to the PGA Qualifying School where they will play for a spot on the PGA Tour.
Walker Cup hero Jeff Overton, whose clutch performance allowed the United States to win the amateur event against Great Britain and Ireland several weeks ago, looked to be in a strong position after firing a first round 67. But his 73 on Wednesday left him at 140, one shot behind the cutoff point of 139 for finishing in the top 19 and moving on.
Former Galena and UNLV standing Travis Whisman was still in contention to move on, finishing with a 71 to give him a 141 total. Former Carson High and St. Mary's standout John Chirila continued to struggle, firing a 77 to give him a 150 total.
Three other players were able to post the low score of the day at 67. Andrew Medley had a 67 to give him a total of 137 and James Drew of North Las Vegas shot a 67 to give him a total of 139.
J.J. Jakovac of Napa, Calif., made a strong recovery to shoot a 67, but was still at 146 after shooting a first round 79.
Kamin was in strong position to move on again as he has a total of 138. When Kamin finished, he thought he had shot an extremely strong round - until he looked at the scoreboard.
"I saw a lot of guys come in with good scores," Kamin said. "I guess there were more birdies out there than I thought.
"I thought the course played harder. They had some really tough pins with the way the wind blew and we didn't make enough putts. I'm not hitting the ball as well as I like."
Kamin said he always enjoys to leave the heat of Phoenix for the cooler Northern Nevada weather.
"It just gets you refreshed and recharged when you come up here," he said. "The course is in great shape and the greens are perfect."
Kamin played on the Nationwide Tour this past year, but didn't play well enough to keep his card on the tour. Kamin will at least look to regain his Nationwide card, which means he'll have to advance to PGA Qualifying School. Those who place in the top 50 in Q school receive an exempt Nationwide card, giving them permanent status on the tour.
But Kamin's ultimate goal is to obviously qualify for the PGA Tour. He has played a few PGA events, but has never earned his PGA Tour card.
He said he'll keep trying to qualify for the PGA Tour as long as he can make a living. "It beats a real job," he said.
