Poise lifts Jamerson to 3-shot advantage

Faber Jamerson didn't flinch after slicing his approach shot into the usually unforgiving greenside bunker on the 16th hole at Independence Golf Club yesterday during the second round of the SunTrust State Open.

The Appomattox resident stared unblinkingly at his wayward shot, then quickly retrieved his discarded cigarette from a divot. Cool and collected, the two-time State Open champion salvaged par with a six-foot putt to rescue a ragged round of 4-under 68 to move to 11-under for the tournament.

Jamerson, who last won this event in 2006, will take a three-shot lead into today's third round. This despite four-putting and bogeying the benign 536-yard par-5 eighth for the second day in a row.

"I left a few shots out there on the front, but I made some good recoveries on the back from some loose shots," Jamerson said. "It's a bad pin placement on No. 8. I don't think it should have been there to start with."

Jamerson recovered on the back 9 with three birdies including an improbable birdie 4 on the Par 5 17th hole. He skulled his second shot 100 yards along the sloped fairway with a hybrid wood, then caught a flyer with a 7-iron from 170 yards that checked up 10 feet below the hole.

"I cold topped my second shot," Jamerson confessed. "I was trying to get the ball to where I would have a good wedge shot. But it just doesn't feel comfortable putting the weight on my left side [after knee surgery]."

Jamerson, who shot a 7-under 65 on Thursday, will be paired today with 2007 champion and first-round leader Josh Meador.

Meador, who seized the lead with an opening-round 64, was even par on the 7,127-yard, par 72 course. The Mechanicsville native is tied for second with amateur Scott Shingler of Haymarket, who manufactured a second straight 4-under 68.

"I kind of fell back a little bit," Meador said. "All the putts that were in a makeable range, I left them in the heart. Things just didn't click as they did [Thursday]. My speed is a little off."

Meador certainly had his chances to stay atop the leaderboard. He carded birdies on Nos. 3 and 7, but left a putt sitting on the lip of the 432-yard, par 4 second after spinning an 8-iron within four feet.

Meador is hoping to step up his game as the two former champions play in the same group today.

"You want to play with the guys playing the best," Meador said. "Even if you're not playing with your A-game, it makes you want to pick it up."

Jamerson, 32, didn't have his A-game, either. But he overcame adversity with an impeccable display of course management and mental toughness.

"I've been here before, and I've played enough golf to know you're not going to hit every shot good," he said. "You have to manage your misses, and go from there. When you hit a bad shot you can't let it get to you."

Jamerson and the rest of those making it to the weekend are hoping the greens are as receptive today as they were the previous two rounds. The second round was delayed nearly an hour by early-afternoon thunderstorm that left the greens vulnerable.

"With the rain we had on Wednesday and the rain we had this afternoon, the golf course is there for the taking," Jamerson said.