Kempa, Harbold, Oakley survive cut at Assistant PGA Professional Championship

   Chester Valley Golf Club assistant Zachary Kempa headed a group of three Philadelphia Section PGA representatives into the weekend in the 42^nd National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship Friday at the PGA Golf Club’s Wanamaker Course in Port St. Lucie, Fla.

   Kempa, who was the winner of the Philadelphia Assistant PGA Professional Championship at Laurel Creek Country Club in the summer, carded a second straight 1-over-par 73 over the 7,123-yard, par-72 Wanamaker Course and is tied for 34^th at 2-over 146 after two rounds.

   The Assistant PGA Professional Championship is supported by Srixon, Cleveland Golf, XXIO, GolfAdvisor.com and John Deere.

   Kempa is 10 shots behind 36-hole leader Steven Delmar of Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, Md., who fired a second straight 4-under 68 that gave him a two-shot lead at 8-under 136 total.

   Kempa had birdies on the first and seventh holes, the two par-5s on the front side of the Wanamaker Course, to offset a double bogey at the fifth hole as he made the turn at even-par. He fell back to 3-over with bogeys at the 10^th, 12^th and 14^th holes before finishing up strong with birdies at the 15^th and 16^th holes to finish at 1-over.

   Rusty Harbold, out of the Philadelphia Cricket Club pro shop, and Waynesborough Country Club’s Zac Oakley were outside the projected cut line when the second round got under way after each carded an opening-round 76.

   But both rallied with a 1-over 73 to make the cut on the number at 5-over 149. Harbold and Oakley were among 11 players tied for 60^th and the field was cut to the low 70 players and ties.

   That left Billy Stewart of The ACE Club just outside the cut line as he added a 4-over 76 to his opening-round 74 to end up at 6-over 150.

   It’s been a very good year for the 34-year-old Stewart, the former Malvern Prep and Saint Joseph’s standout. He survived two cuts and played four rounds in his first appearance in the PGA Professional Championship at the Bayonet and Black Horse Courses on northern California’s Monterey Peninsula, won the Philadelphia Open in a playoff at St. Davids Golf Club, captured the Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship for the first time at Concord Country Club and was the Section’s Omega Player of the Year.

   Brian Bergstol of the Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort bounced back from a disappointing opening round of 80 by matching par in Friday’s second round with a 72, but his 152 total missed the cut by three shots.

   Delmar, who turns 31 next week, is playing in the Assistant PGA Professional Championship for the third time, but survived the cut for the first time. More than make the cut, Delmar is very much in contention for the top prize of $12,000 out of a total purse of $150,000.

   Delmar made birdies at the third and seventh holes around a bogey at the sixth to make the turn at 1-under. After making a bogey at the 11^th, Delmar birdied four of the final six holes, going back-to-back on 13 and 14 and again on 16 and 17, to get it to 4-under for the day and 8-under for the championship.

   Kenny Pigman, the 2014 Assistant PGA Professional Championship runnerup, had grabbed the opening-round lead with a sparkling 6-under 66. Pigman of Goose Creek Golf Club in Mira Loma, Calif. fell back a little with an even-par 72 and is alone in second place, two shots behind Delmar at 6-under 138.

   Alan Morin of The Falls Club of the Palm Beaches in Lake Worth, Fla. and Andrew Bateman of Congaree in Ridgeland, S.C. both opened up with a 2-under 70 and each added a 3-under 69 Friday and are tied for third at 5-under 139.

   Scott Cherry of Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif. and J.P. Griffin of the Capital City Club in Atlanta are tied for fifth, another shot behind Morin and Bateman at 4-under 140. Cherry, who opened with an even-par 72, carded a 4-under 68 in the second round while Griffin, who had opened with a 1-under 71, added a 3-under 69 Friday.

   Josh Rackley, one of the Philadelphia Section’s top players when he was at Gulph Mills Golf Club, had opened with a 68 that gave him a share of second place. Rackley, an assistant at Tam O’Shanter Golf Club in Glen Head, N.Y., backed off a little with a 2-over 74 in the second round to end up among the group tied for 11^th at 2-under 142.