With a daunting weekend forecast for the Lowcountry, Brent Witcher entered the second round of the eGolf Tour's Oldfield Open knowing it would be good to put some distance between himself and the field.
After taking the first-round lead with a 66, Witcher posted a 67 on Thursday to reach 11-under par at the event's halfway point, four shots clear of the field with two potentially rain-soaked rounds to play.
Thunderstorms are forecast for the area over the next two days as the tournament shifts to the Greg Norman-designed Oldfield Country Club for the last two rounds.
Witcher, a member of the Web.com Tour last year, had some first-round trouble on the lightning-fast greens at Callawassie Island but rebounded with his putter Thursday at Oldfield.
Birdies on Nos. 2 and 4 quickly took the former Valdosta State star to 8 under for the week, and gave him a two-shot lead. His hot start, however, gave way to six-hole stretch of pars that coincided with a suddenly-lukewarm putter.
"It was a good day. I started off making a lot of putts and hitting it pretty decent, then I began to hit it good and I stopped making everything," Witcher said.
Back-to-back birdies on Nos. 11 and 12 revitalized his round, while birdies at 15 and 18 helped to offset a bogey at the par-3 16th, leaving him at 5 under on the day.
Olafur Loftsson of Iceland is alone in second place, four shots back at 68-69--137.
Former eGolf Tour winners Stephen Poole Jr., a former Clemson golfer, Ryan Nelson of Charleston and Jack Fields of Southern Pines, N.C., are tied for third at 6-under 138, five shots behind the leader.
The Oldfield Open is the second of 24 events on the 2013 eGolf Tour schedule.
eGolf Tour Oldfield Open Scores
Oldfield Country Club (OC)
Callawassie Island Club-Dogwood/Magnolia (CI)
Second Round
1 Brent Witcher [OC] 66-67--133
2 Olafur Loftsson [CI] 68-69--137
T3 Stephen Poole [OC] 69-69--138
T3 Ryan Nelson [OC] 68-70--138
T3 Jack Fields [OC] 69-69--138
T6 Harold Varner [CI] 68-71--139
T6 Chris Epperson [CI] 71-68 --139
T8 John-Tyler Griffin [OC] 70-70 --140
T8 Conrad Shindler [CI] 72-68 --140
T8 Bryan Pierce [CI] 69-71 --140
T8 Cam Burke [CI] 67-73 --140
T8 Garland Green [CI] 71-69 --140
T13 David May [OC] 71-70 --141
T13 Tommy Biershenk [CI] 70-71 --141
T13 Birgir Hafthorsson [CI] 68-73 --141
T13 Taylor Floyd [CI] 72-69 --141
T13 David Robinson [CI] 73-68 --141
T13 Jonathan Cox [CI] 69-72 --141
T13 Jesse Smith [CI] 69-72 --141
T13 Chris Baker [OC] 71-70 --141
T21 Lanto Griffin [CI] 70-72 --142
T21 Christian Brand [CI] 74-68 --142
T21 Tanner Ervin [OC] 75-67 --142
T21 Nick Bova [OC] 75-67 --142
T21 Sam Beach [OC] 71-71 --142
T21 Wes Worster [OC] 74--68 --142
T21 Joshua Brock [OC] 72-70 --142
T21 McCuen Elmore [OC] 72-70 --142
T21 Ryan Blaum [CI] 71-71 --142
T30 Ryan Sullivan [CI] 75-68 --143
T30 Chip Lynn [CI] 70-73 --143
T30 Travis Ross [CI] 73-70 --143
T30 Peter Malnati [CI] 71-72 --143
T30 Bobby MacWhinnie [OC] 69-74 --143
T30 Daniel Bowden [CI] 71-72 --143
T30 Daniel Woltman [OC] 68-75 --143
T30 Seamus Power [OC] 71-72 --143
T38 Brett Munson [OC] 69-75 --144
T38 Matthew Ryan [OC] 73-71 --144
T38 Mitchell Krywulycz [CI] 72-72 --144
T38 Kevin McLister [OC] 71-73 --144
T38 Cole Claassen [OC] 72-72 --144
T38 Ricky McDonald [OC] 74-70 --144
T44 Frank Adams III [OC] 75-70 --145
T44 Tripp McAllister [CI] 74-71 --145
T44 Jonas Enander Hedin [OC] 74-71 --145
T44 Thomas Curtis [OC] 76-69 --145
T44 Ryan Gildersleeve [OC] 72-73 --145
T44 Fergal Rafferty [CI] 73-72 --145
T44 Michael Shrader [OC] 72-73 --145
T44 Barrett Kelpin [CI] 69-76 --145
T44 Charlie Winegardner [CI] 74-71 --145
T53 MacKenzie Hughes [OC] 73-73 --146
T53 Tadd Fujikawa [OC] 75-71 --146
T53 Drew Weaver [CI] 74-72 --146
T53 Tim Hegarty [OC] 74-72 --146
T53 Ben Lee [OC] 73-73 --146
T53 Paul Woodbury [CI] 70-76 --146
T53 Scott Usher [CI] 74-72 --146
T53 Timothy Madigan [OC] 75-71 --146
T53 Fielding Brewbaker [CI] 71-75 --146
T53 Bruce Woodall [CI] 73-73 --146
T53 Vaita Guillaume [CI] 72-74 --146
T53 Adam Long [CI] 76-70 --146
TEE TIMES
Round 3
Oldfield Country Club
No. 1
8 a.m.: Chip Lynn, Travis Ross
8:10 a.m.: McCuen Elmore, Ryan Blaum, Ryan Sullivan
8:20 a.m.: Sam Beach, Wes Worster, Joshua Brock
8:30 a.m.: Christian Brand, Tanner Ervin, Nick Bova
8:40 a.m.: Jesse Smith, Chris Baker, Lanto Griffin
8:50 a.m.: Taylor Floyd, David Robinson, Jonathan Cox
9 a.m.: David May, Tommy Biershenk, Birgir Hafthorsson
9:10 a.m.: Bryan Pierce, Cam Burke, Garland Green
9:20 a.m.: Chris Epperson, John-Tyler Griffin, Conrad Shindler
9:30 a.m.: Ryan Nelson, Jack Fields, Harold Varner
9:40 a.m.: Brent Witcher, Olafur Loftsson, Stephen Poole
No. 10
8 a.m.: Peter Malnati, Bobby MacWhinnie
8:10 a.m.: Daniel Bowden, Daniel Woltman, Seamus Power
8:20 a.m.: Brett Munson, Matthew Ryan, Mitchell Krywulycz
8:30 a.m.: Kevin McLister, Cole Claassen, Ricky McDonald
8:40 a.m.: Frank Adams III, Tripp McAllister, Jonas Enander Hedin
8:50 a.m.: Thomas Curtis, Ryan Gildersleeve, Fergal Rafferty
9 a.m.: Michael Shrader, Barrett Kelpin, Charlie Winegardner
9:10 a.m.: MacKenzie Hughes, Tadd Fujikawa, Drew Weaver
9:20 a.m.: Tim Hegarty, Ben Lee, Paul Woodbury
9:30 a.m.: Scott Usher, Timothy Madigan, Fielding Brewbaker
9:40 a.m.: Bruce Woodall, Vaita Guillaume, Adam Long