Golfer in a purple polo and beige shorts preparing to swing on an elevated tee during a sunny golf event, with blue sky and flags in the background. — Drew Baccus watches his tee shot on the opening hole Friday on the La Paloma layout of the Tascosa Golf Club. Baccus is in a share of the lead at the midway point of the 32nd Coors Tournament of Champions. [Carter Pirtle/ Press Pass Sports]

If nothing else the second day of the 32nd Annual Coors Tournament of Champions guaranteed a weekend shootout at the Amarillo muni courses.

Kyle Kelting proves age is just a number; 64-year old leads first round of 32nd Coors Tournament of Champions

Stetson Provence and Drew Baccus rally to win 33rd Coors Partnership

33rd Annual Coors Partnership Set to Tee Off This Weekend

With the La Paloma Course at Tascosa Golf Club set up Korn Ferry-like featuring tees stretched to the max, slick greens and Mother Nature adding her two cents with annoying gusting wind, Friday’s second of four rounds of the TOC was a test of simple survival leaving hoisting the TOC trophy wide open.

As this prestigious tournament heads to the weekend at Comanche Trail on Saturday and Ross Rogers on Sunday, six golfers are within two strokes of each other as Friday saw a worst-to-first move up the leader board by Drew Baccus, along with history being made.

The history lesson is for the first time in the 32-year history of the TOC no player will begin Saturday at even par or under par. But any golf aficionado _ or hack _ witnessing the opening two rounds at Amarillo Country Club and La Paloma know how brutally tough the courses were set up to bite back at the golfers.

The challenging conditions mean first round leader 64-year-old Kyle Kelting, Baccus and 19-year-old Hunter Corman sit in a three-way tie atop the leader board at 8-over par. Two strokes back, very much alive to win the TOC, at 10-over par sit the trio of 2024 TOC champion Max Mitchell, 2026 Tascosa Golf Club Ambush co-champion Kent Neal and co-winner of the 2026 Coors and Bud Partnerships Stetson Provence.

Rounding out the scores are Jenner King in 7th place at 18-over par.

Baccus was the story of Friday and is no stranger to success this summer having won three times as the ACC club champion, TGC Ambush and Coors Partnership.

Baccus opened with a 78 on Thursday entering Friday’s round six strokes off the lead. His steady-Eddie play produced a 1-over par 72 on Friday producing the best score of the day by four strokes over Corman and Neal.

Baccus, a sweet-swinging lefty, fired two birdies, three bogeys and 13 pars, his final seven holes each a par. Baccus said he didn’t try to go low by aggressively trying to fire off a string of birdies but rather used the strategy of finding a green in regulation and two-putting.

The strategy worked.

“This is the hardest golf course we play, in my opinion,” said Baccus, who this week is playing in his third TOC. “You can make an eight in two seconds. So, it’s just hitting shots to those spots and knocking it on the green and letting your putter go to work. I probably on the back had four or five putts outside of 40 feet and two-putted every one of them. It was just like get it close, get it up there and make par.

“I was thinking if I can make pars, I’m going to do well. After my round on Thursday (78) I just wanted to come out and put together a solid number.

“Like I said, this is the hardest course we play and I just didn’t want to make any big numbers. I took care of that so I’m thrilled.”

Golfer in a white cap and striped polo hits a bunker shot, sand spraying as the ball rises. — Kyle Kelting is in a tie for the lead heading into the weekend of the 32nd Coors Tournament of Champions. [Carter Pirtle/ Press Pass Sports]

Tied with Baccus in first are 19-time TOC participant Kelting and TOC first-timer Corman.

Kelting, who celebrated his 64th birthday on Friday, entered round two holding a two-stroke lead and after nine-holes Friday had moved the lead to three strokes over Corman and seven over Baccus.

Kelting opened the back nine with a par on No. 10, found trouble at No. 11 with a double bogey, then closed out with three bogeys in the tough conditions. Still, Kelting is tied for the lead and has TOC weekend experience like no other in the field.

“The course was tough,” said Kelting who plays a lot of rounds at TGC throughout the year. “But I didn’t play very well, either. I made a little bad swing on 11 with the lost ball and then another bad swing on 12. But after that I hit it OK.”

Kelting was asked if he was told Wednesday night he would be tied for the lead heading into Saturday’s round would he take it?

“If I heard that, it would be great but I have high standards for myself and didn’t play well today so it’s a little disappointing,” Kelting said. “I am going to relax the rest of the day and get ready for (Saturday).”

Man in white cap and sunglasses swinging a golf club in a backyard, mid-backswing with a metal fence and greenery in the background. — Hunter Corman is in a tie for the lead heading into the weekend of the 32nd Coors Tournament of Champions. [Carter Pirtle/ Press Pass Sports]

Representing the youth that made noise throughout the summer tournaments is Corman. The 19-year-old is s recent graduate of Wildorado High School and the 2026 Class 1A state golf champion. He will soon be off to Lubbock Christian starting his college golf career.

Corman showed grit Friday. After bogeying four of the opening five holes, he played the next 10 holes in 1-under with birdies at Nos. 8 and 15. That’s why he enters the TOC weekend tied for first with Kelting and Baccus.

“It was tricky for sure with a lot of tough pin locations,” Corman said. “I’ve never seen LP (La Paloma) play this tough. I also didn’t play really well. I got off to the slow start and was able to manage some pars. When it’s this tough you just have to stay in it and not beat yourself up. I’m having fun, for sure. This is the best tournament I’ve ever played in.”

Now, it’s off to Amarillo’s two outstanding municipal courses _ Comanche and Ross _ where the set up and course conditions will definitely be easier than the country clubs for these skilled golfers.

What’s it going to take to be the 2026 TOC champion?

“For sure somebody has to go low to win,” Corman said. “I think it will take at least 10 under for the next two days to win it.”

Said the vet Kelting: “I imagine there will be some low scores this weekend. We have the two hard courses out of the way. And man, these guys are good players. They can get going. I’m going to have to play good. There are no layups out here.”

FOLLOW THE LEADERBOARD

For a look at Friday’s second round leaderboard, and Saturday’s third round tee times, please visit, https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/12393673620566617992