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Knox on Fire, Sets Course Record for Second Straight Day

The Gold Strike Casino Golf Classic
Tunica National Golf Club

Robinsonville, MS (August 6, 2010)… Russell Knox of Scotland continued his dominance of Tunica National Golf Club in the second round of The Gold Strike Casino Golf Classic after he broke the course record for the second straight day with an eleven under par 61.

Knox began the second round in first place by two strokes after opening with a ten under par Thursday. The 26-year-old continued where he left off on Thursday with birdies on holes two, three and five to jump out of the gate early at three-under par for the day and thirteen-under par for the tournament.

Knox then headed to the par four sixth hole and with a four iron in his hand landed his approach shot three feet short of the cup and then watched as it magically found the hole for an eagle two. On the very next hole, the par five seventh hole, Knox’s three wood hit the flag stick and left him with a tap in eagle for back to back to back eagles and a front nine score of seven-under par 29 and an astonishing seventeen-under par through 27 holes.

After opening with two pars on the back nine, Knox found his groove again with three straight birdies on holes twelve-fourteen to get to twenty-under par for the event and ten-under par for the second straight day. The former Jacksonville University golfer then had his only bad luck of the first two days when his drive found the lip of a fairway bunker which led to his first bogey of the tournament.

After the bogey, Knox sealed his second straight course record with his third eagle of the day on the sixteenth hole to get to eleven-under par 61 and a two day total of 21-under par 123.

Parker LaBarge (St. Louis, MO) sits in second place, eight strokes behind Knox, after he opened with a two day total of thirteen-under par 131 that was sparked by an eight-under par 64 on Friday. LaBarge had three bogies in his round on Thursday but the former Rice Owl golfer was able to cut down on the mistakes Friday with nines of 31-33 that included six birdies and an eagle.

Grant Leaver (Centerville, TN) and Jerrett Hamilton (Richardson, TX) will begin the weekend portion of the tournament trailing Knox by nine strokes after the pair carded two-day totals of 12-under par 132.

Former Ole Miss golfer Kyle Ellis (Senatobia) heads up the local Mississippi contingent in the Gold Strike Casino Classic after he carded a five-under par 67 on Friday to move from a T-20 to T-12 at nine-under par 135. Other Mississippians include Jackson’s Josh Oller (seven-under par 137) and Jesse Soeirs of Oxford (six-under par 138).

Memphis native Scott Tashie posted an even par Friday and will enter the weekend portion at four-under par 140.

The cutline fell at four-under par 140 Friday afternoon with seventy golfers making the weekend portion of the Gold Strike Casino Golf Classic. Round Three will begin at 7 a.m. Saturday morning with the leaders teeing off number one at 9 a.m.

The total purse for The Gold Strike Casino Golf Classic is $200,000 with $30,000 going to the winner.

Gold Strike Casino Classic
Tunica National GC Pro Tees
Tunica, MS
Aug 2 - Aug 8, 2010
Round 1 Scores
Par 72, 7204 yards