- Kyle Reifers hits his third shot on No. 17 Friday during the second round of the Korn Ferry Tour’s inaugural Lake Charles Championship. (Rick Hickman / American Press)
Vince India talked more like he was on a scouting venture for his pals back in suburban Chicago than a business golf trip.
But, if he’s not careful, over the weekend, he might bring back more than he or they were bargaining for.
The former University of Iowa golfer fired a 4-under-par 67 on a chilly Friday morning and was in a four-way tie for the lead of the Korn Ferry Tour’s Lake Charles Championship heading into the weekend.
He was at 9-under par, knotted with Braden Thornberry, a former NCAA individual champion while at Ole Miss, former University of Arizona golfer George Cunningham and Auburn contribution Trace Crowe.
All four will be looking for their first Korn Ferry Tour win.
“It’s my first 36-hole lead — even tied for the lead,” Cunningham said after parring the last seven holes for a 5-under 66 for the day.
Thornberry got in with a 4-under 67 despite three bogeys.
Crowe was a fast finisher, ending his first nine birdie-birdie and his back nine with three consecutive birdies.
Two other golfers — Corey Pereira from California and South Korean Seonghyeon Kim were a shot back tied for fifth.
Then the log jam really begins with sixth golfers tied for seventh at 7 under.
It will play itself out over the weekend — lots of golf to play, as they say.
But India likes where he’s at — and not just on the leaderboard.
“It’s cool,” he said of the inaugural Lake Charles Championship. “It’s a fun place … It kind of surprised me a little bit. It’s a nice spot to be.”
He clarified his answer, perhaps with a little twinkle in his eye.
“I really think I’d rather play here with a bunch of buddies on a bachelor party trip instead of grinding it out in these 30-mph winds.
“But I like Lake Charles.”
So far it likes him back.
His bogey-free second round didn’t include a lot of adventures despite a second consecutive day of gusting winds as he leaned on an improved short game.
“My game around the greens was super solid,” he said. “I put a little bit of work … I’m pitching it and chipping it pretty nicely, so when I hit a squirrelly shot with an iron, I let it roll off the shoulder and say, ‘Well, I can go get this up and down.’ That’s been the key this week so far.”
He finished with a longish birdie putt on the par-4 18th hole.
“I was indecisive about the read,” he said. “Then I thought it might have squiggled back at the end. Halfway through the putt I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s pretty good.’ ”
Then the dastardly thing started leaking, threatening to slip off to the right.
“I went, ‘Don’t you do it!’” India remembered.
Anytime a golfer’s ball is listening to him — and obeying — you know it’s a good day.
“Somehow it hung on to the right lip,” India said. “I got lucky. I guessed right.”
He hasn’t yet tried his luck yet at the casino next door, the only one on property for any of the Korn Ferry Tour’s 26 events.
“No. That’s a bad idea,” he laughed. “Why would you do that?”
This trip, after all, is all business.
But you got the feeling he might reconsider if he ever returns with buddies under less stressful circumstances.
The $135,000 first-place check — out of a $750,000 purse — that the tournament is dangling out there for the winner might finance the trip.
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March 26, 2022 at 08:11PM
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