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THE WOODLANDS, TX (May 3, 2017) – With the second day of the Carlton Woods Invitational in the books at the Nicklaus Course of The Club at Carlton Woods the names atop the leaderboard have remained the same. Both Joseph Deraney and Justin Kaplan fired 5-under 67’s on Tuesday before shooting 2-over 74’s on Wednesday to drop to 3-under. However, despite the struggles the pair will still begin Wednesday’s final round 3-under and ahead by a shot.

Playing in his first career Carlton Woods Invitational, Deraney started his second round slowly with a front nine 3-over 39 that included six bogeys and also fortunately a birdie and an eagle on the par-5 8th that helped keep his round afloat.

Although Deraney, who won three AmateurGolf.com Ranking events last year, bogeyed the 9th and 12th hole his day did start to turn around following the eagle, as he also birdied Nos. 16 and 18 on the way home.

Kaplan was able to put together a solid even-par front nine with a birdie and a bogey, however on the way home he had to work hard to stay in front. Following four consecutive pars to begin the side, Kaplan double-bogeyed the 14th before bogeying the 15th to fall to 3-over for the round. Unfazed, Kaplan responded with 16th hole birdie.

Heading into the final round it is Heath Myers in third place at 2-under, Derek Busby in fourth place at even-par and Jess Bonneau in fifth at 1-over.

Defending champion Colby Harwell is sharing ninth at 5-over.

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THE WOODLANDS, TX (May 2, 2017)–Joseph Deraney and Justin Kaplan lit up the Nicklaus Course at Carlton Woods like no one else ever had on Tuesday, each firing a 5-under 67 that leaves them four shots clear of the rest of the field.

They got there in different ways. For Deraney, it was a hot start that ignited his round, going four under through eight holes and eventually recording six birdies overall against one bogey. Kaplan was one under through twelve, then birdied four of the last six. Kaplan had seven birdies for the day against two bogeys.

The result is the all-time record low round at the Carlton Woods Invitational.

Deraney is making his first appearance at the Carlton Woods Invitational after becoming a force on the mid-amateur circuit in 2016 by winning the Stocker Cup, Lupton Invitational, the Timuquana Cup, and the Kentucky Mid-Amateur.

Kaplan is a former University of Houston player who regularly contends in state and regional amateur events and won the Texas Mid-Amateur Match Play in 2015.

Heath Myers sits in third place at four back with a 71, followed by 2011 CWI Champion David Bartman and Derek Busby at 72. Two-time champion and last year’s winner Colby Harwell is tied 10th with a 75.

There was another hot round in the Senior Division. Jeff New, a former resident of The Woodlands who now resides in Scottsdale, AZ, shot a four-under 68 in a round that included six birdies against two bogeys. New, who won the 2015 Trans-Mississippi Senior and who was runner-up in the Senior Masters earlier this spring, carries a three shot lead into round two over Herb Fisher and Mike Peck. Larry Nunez and Scott Smith sit four back after rounds of even-par 72.

Mike Booker, a three-time CWI Senior Champion, is tied for 13th after a 75.