Ingraham, Kelly head Philadelphia Section contingent at Senior PGA Professional Championship

   A couple of 59-year-old Philadelphia Section PGA pros, Stu Ingraham, an instructor at the M Golf Range & Learning Center in Newtown Square, and Brian Kelly of the Bucknell Golf Club remain in good position to earn a trip to next spring’s KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at the halfway point of the 31^st Senior PGA Professional Championship, supported by The Golf Channel and John Deere, at the Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas.

   Ingraham, playing in his 38^th PGA of America championship, cooled off a little from his sizzling opening round of 5-under-par 65 at the Coore Crenshaw Cliffside Course at Barton Creek with a 1-over 73 at the Fazio Foothills Course in Friday’s second round. That left him in the group tied for 17^th at 4-under 138.

   Kelly, looking for a second straight trip to the Senior PGA Championship, added a solid 3-under 67 at the Cliffside Course to his opening round of 1-under 71 at the Foothills Course to join Ingraham in the group at 4-under 138.

   The top 35 finishers will earn a trip to the Senior PGA Championship, a PGA Tour Champions major which will be held next May at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, Mich.

   Ingraham, playing in his ninth Senior PGA Professional Championship, had four birdies and five bogeys over the Foothills Course. He quickly got it to 7-under for the tournament with birdies at the first and third holes, but played 3-over golf the rest of the way.

   A birdie at the closing hole left a little better taste in Ingraham’s mouth. The final two rounds will be contested at the Foothills Course.

   Kelly made two birdies and two bogeys on the outgoing nine at the Cliffside Course, but got it going on the back nine, rattling off birdies at the 12^th, 16^th and 18^th holes to get it to 4-under for the tournament.

   Chad Sorensen of Buena Vista Golf Course in Taft, Calif. fired a spectacular 7-under 63 at the Cliffside Course to take the lead at the halfway point. Sorensen opened with a 4-under 68 at the Foothills Course and stands at 11-under 131.

   Sorensen admits golf is his distraction these days after losing his wife Raeleen and daughter Raegan in a tragic automobile accident in July of 2017.

  Sorensen began a back-nine run up the leaderboard when he drilled a 7-iron from 215 yards away at the par-5 12^th hole to six feet and made the eagle try. He added birdies at the 15^th and 16^th holes to get it to 11-under.

   Defending champion Bob Sowards of Kinsale Golf & Fitness Center in Powell, Ohio and opening-round leader Frank Bensel Jr., an assistant pro at Century Country Club in Purchase, N.Y., were tied for second place at 9-under 133, two shots behind Sorensen.

   Sowards nearly holed his second shot into the par-5 18^th hole at the Foothills Course for a double eagle, but had to settle for a tap-in eagle. That enabled him to finish off a sparkling 6-under 66 after he had opened with a 3-under 67 at the Cliffside Course.

   Bensel, a three-time winner of the National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship, cooled off a little after opening with a 7-under 65, the low round of Thursday’s first round at the Foothills Course. His 2-under 68 at the Cliffside Course in Friday’s second round got him to 9-under.

John Aber, the head pro at Allegheny Country Club in Sewickley, Pa., carded a solid 2-under 70 at the Foothills Course and is alone in fourth place at 8-under 134. Aber had opened with the best round of Thursday’s opening round at the Cliffside Course, a 6-under 64.

   Four more Philadelphia Section PGA senior pros survived the cut to the low 90 and ties following the second round. There will be another cut to the low 70 and ties following Saturday’s third round.

Dave Quinn of Laurel Creek Country Club and Terry Hertzog of the Country Club of York both landed in the group tied for 31^st at 2-under 140.

   Quinn followed up a 1-under 71 at the Foothills Course with a 1-under 69 at the Cliffside Course in Friday’s second round. Hertzog, who had opened with a 3-under 69 at the Foothills Course, posted a 1-over 71 at the Cliffside Course to get it to 2-under.

   Hertzog had opened with a 3-under 69 at the Foothills Course before adding a 1-over 71 at the Cliffside Course to finish the day at 2-under.

   George Forster, the 63-year-old head pro at Radnor Valley Country Club, matched par with a 70 at the Cliffside Course after matching par in the opening round with a 72 at the Foothills Course. His even-par 142 total left him among the group tied for 53^rd place.

   Bob Lennon of Wilmington Country Club matched par with a 72 at the Foothills Course to make the cut on the number at 2-over 144. Lennon had opened with a 2-over 72 at the Cliffside Course.

   Eddie Perrino of the Eagle Rock Resort was one frustrating shot away from making the cut as he landed on 3-over 145. Perrino added a 1-over 71 at the Cliffside Course to his opening round of 2-over 74 at the Cliffside Course.

   John Pillar, the director of golf at the Country Club at Woodloch Springs, bounced back from an opening-round 78 at the Foothills Course with a 3-over 73 at the Cliffside Course for a 151 total. Pillar was the winner of the Philadelphia Senior PGA Professional Championship in August at Applebrook Golf Club.

   A familiar name that did make the cut was that of Charlie Bolling, winner of the 1978 Golf Association of Philadelphia Amateur Championship while playing out of Gulph Mills Golf Club. Bolling, playing out of the Bethpage State Park Golf Course pro shop on Long Island, matched par with a 70 at the Cliffside Course Friday after opening with a 1-over 73 at the Foothills Course for a 1-over 143 total that left him among the group tied for 63^rd place.