Back-nine birdies key Ted Potter’s 68

June 20, 2009 01:54 am

— By Jim Henry
jhenry@joplinglobe.com
MIAMI, Okla. — Ted Potter didn’t make one birdie on the back nine in the first round of the Buffalo Run Casino Classic.
But on Friday, Potter’s rolled in three back-nine birdies to cap a 4-under 68 for a 36-hole total of 6-under 138 at the midway point of the 72-hole event at the Peoria Ridge Golf Course.
Potter climbed from a tie for 27th place after 18 holes into a share of 15th on the leaderboard. His scores this week followed his season-long average of slight improvement from the first round to the second round, but as a warning to the rest of the field, the third round has been Potter’s best round this year — averaging 4.13-under par.
“I’ve been putting the ball really well and making a few putts this year,” Potter said. “This year I’ve been hitting the irons really well, so I’ve been hitting a lot of greens in regulation. That’s helping out a lot. I’m driving the ball straighter than I did last year. All the little stuff combined, it’s going good.”
Potter opened Friday’s round with a bogey on the par-5 first hole, but birdies on the fourth and fifth made him 1-under at the turn, and he added birdies on the 11th, 15th and 17th holes for a back-nine 33.
Potter, from Ocala, Fla., has earned almost $110,000 this year on the NGA Hooters Tour, more than twice as much as almost every one else on tour. He’s cashed in eight of nine tournaments this year, headlined by championships in Amelia Island, Fla., in March and Tunica, Miss., last week, and he has four fourth-place finishes.
Potter’s stroke average this season is 69.24, and in 36 rounds, he’s had only nine holes where he scored higher than bogey.
Potter is playing his third year on the Hooters circuit, earning more than $102,000 in 2006 and $65,000 last year. He played on the PGA’s Nationwide Tour in 2004 and 2007, and his success this season helps ease any frustration about not playing on a higher tour.
“I’m playing well out here,” he said. “I’m happy with what I’m doing. I want to keep on this tour, practicing and playing, so you can get ready for Q school.”