Brewbaker's 64 puts him in Hall command

DALEVILLE -- Fielding Brewbaker's aim is to turn professional this fall.

Marshall Bailey, shown here during first-round play on Friday at Ole Monterey, sits alone in second place in the Hall of Fame championship. KYLE GREEN The Roanoke Times

From the looks of things, the move isn't going to come soon enough for the rest of the field in the 36th Roanoke Valley Golf Hall of Fame men's championship.

Turning what was a stacked leaderboard into his own personal playpen, Brewbaker fashioned the lowest round in relation to par in the event's history -- a 9-under-par 64 -- at Ashley Plantation on Saturday. Brewbaker's career-low round gave him a 36-hole total of 11-under 133, four shots ahead of defending champion Marshall Bailey.

It's eight shots back to Jack Wilkes and Darrell Craft, who are tied for third in the 54-hole event that concludes today at The Waterfront.

"Why wait? Go now! That would be my advice," cracked Craft, when hearing of the leader's future plans to go pro. "This thing is over, I'm telling you. I mean I'm 3 under and I'm eight shots back!"

Brewbaker, 22, a recent graduate of James Madison University, had nine birdies and no bogeys in a round that fell only one shot from matching the course record of 63 held by Chip Sullivan, the former Ashley head pro and current Nationwide Tour participant.

"Oh man, that was fun," said Brewbaker, whose nine birdies came on his final 13 holes. "I was getting pumped. I was excited. I was just ready and I just wanted to go on to the next hole. I just kept wanting to make another birdie."

Brewbaker has been the birdie man the past two days, making 16 in 36 holes. He let loose with a Tiger-like fist pump after birdieing the final hole Saturday.

"I didn't know what I shot until I putted out at 18," Brewbaker said. "Mom and Dad said, 'You don't know what you shot?' She said, '64.' I had no idea."

Bailey, the first-round leader after a 4-under 67 at Ole Monterey, had a solid 70 that left him in a deep hole going into the final 18.

The defender looked stunned when he saw Brewbaker's number on the scoreboard.

"It was a hell of a round, a hell of a round," Bailey said. "I thought 7 under would be pretty good. I mean, I didn't think I would be four back.

"I like where I'm sitting, but four is not easy to make up on a guy who's made 16 birdies in two rounds. I'm playing pretty well. We'll see."

Bailey got a rise out of Brewbaker's contention that he had no idea he had shot 64 when he birdied the final hole.

When asked if he believed that, Bailey laughed and said: "I would probably know what I was sitting at. I guess if you're making that many birdies, you can lose count."

Wilkes, who shot 68, and Craft (73) all but saw their hopes eliminated by Brewbaker's sizzling show.

"Fielding was playing a different game today, that's for sure," said Wilkes, a rising senior at Cave Spring High School.

Brewbaker, who finished second in a playoff last year to Bailey, said he likes his chances of getting it done right this time. However, he hasn't figured out where he's going to put the big trophy yet.

"It would be awesome to pull this off," he said. "It's been too long since I've won. If it's a week, if it's been a day, it's been too long. But a lead is what it is. ... It's just a lead. All a lead is good for is just for the scoreboard or some ink. It's never over until you putt it out on that last hole."

Brewbaker needs a 69 today to match the tournament scoring record of 202, set 26 years ago by former U.S. Amateur runner-up David Tolley.

"That 202 of Tolley is in jeopardy," Craft said. "David Tolley had better start praying for a rain cloud [today]."

Paced by Brewbaker, Wilkes and Jack Allara, Hidden Valley has a 23-shot lead on Roanoke Country Club in the team competition. Hidden Valley, which has five players in the top 16, is bidding for its fourth title in five years.