Playing on a sponsor’s invitation, South African amateur Cole Stevens made the most of his opportunity in the Korn Ferry Tour’s UNC Health Championship when he made the cut on Friday after a second-round four-over-par 74 took him into a share of 57th.
Stevens was the 2019 SA Golf development Board Player of the Year after competing for South Africa in the 2018 Youth Olympics, and he earned a scholarship to Point University in Georgia. He has since moved to Augusta University where he finished on top of the final 2023-24 Bridgestone APGA Collegiate Ranking. That gave him the sponsor’s invite.
He opened his campaign with a two-under-par 68, and, although he battled during his second round, he still gets to play two more rounds over the weekend. At two-over for the tournament, he heads into the third round eight strokes off the lead.
In front at the halfway mark was Argentina’s Nelson Ledesma at six-under after he carded six-under 64 in the second round. He was one clear of the American trio of Daniel Summerhays, Patrick Welch and Carter Jenkins.
Dawie van der Walt and MJ Daffue missed the cut.
