Logan Sutto’s steady play has kept him almost bogey free and given him a two-shot lead in the Metro at Beavercreek Golf Club. Sutto shot 66 on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. JEFF GILBERT/CONTRIBUTED
Logan Sutto follows a simple strategy, one that’s new for him and one he could get used to. This week at the 104th Metropolitan Championship, Sutto steps onto every tee box aiming for par.
Nothing better, and certainly nothing worse.
“I’ve been trying to play for more pars, and then if I make a few putts, then good,” Sutto said after the second round on Tuesday, June 23, at Beavercreek Golf Club.
Sutto’s par strategy almost eliminated bogey from his vocabulary for the second straight day. After firing a 67 to lead by one after Monday’s first round, Sutto posted a second straight one-bogey round, shot 66 and leads the Metro at the halfway point by two strokes at 11-under par.
Two bogeys in 36 holes, Sutto admitted, is not his usual MO.
“I’m more of an up-and-down player, so it feels good to be a little more steady, make a lot more pars, not really any unforced errors,” said Sutto, a rising junior at Butler from the Toledo area.
Sutto’s only bogey came on No. 17 when he said he misjudged the wind. Otherwise, he hit greens and made putts, including seven times for birdie.
“I hit the driver really well, and then made a couple more putts today,” he said. “But I gave myself a lot more chances to make putts today.”
Trying to keep pace with Sutto are Timmy Hollenbeck and Cameron Phillips at 9-under and Ross Dietz at 8-under. In all, nine players are within seven shots of Sutto with 36 holes to play. The winner on Thursday will also earn what many of them are here for — a spot in the U.S. Amateur in August near Philadelphia.
“You always want to be winning but still two more days,” Sutto said. “Just going to go out and play like it’s day one again. Not really worried about anything.”
Timmy Hollenbeck made two eagles and shot 66 Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in the Metro at Beavercreek Golf Club. He is tied for second two shots off the lead. JEFF GILBERT/CONTRIBUTED
Hollenbeck, a former Wright State player who is transferring to Cincinnati, shot 66 to match Sutto for the day’s low rounds. Hollenbeck also set out to make pars, but he made two eagles, four birdies and two bogeys.
“The main goal was to stay in the tournament, and I played with some great guys so I kind of fed off them a little bit,” Hollenbeck said. “I hit the ball well — I got lucky on a couple shots. Once stuff goes your way, you typically have a good round.”
For his first eagle on the par 5 second hole, Hollenbeck started by pulling his drive left into the rough but stayed out of the water. Then he hit a six-iron to eight feet and made the putt.
“I was choking up on a six iron, trying to roll it up there, and literally just pulled it off perfectly,” he said.
On the second eagle at No. 15, Hollenbeck took advantage of the tees being moved closer. He was 180 yards out with a pitching wedge in his hands, but his second shot made him nervous. He wanted the front of the green to play it safe because the pin was tucked into the left side.
“I ended up pulling it left of the flag, and there’s water over there too, so I was a little distraught with myself after that golf swing,” he said. “But luckily it kicked to about 10 feet, and kind of a straight putt.”
Cameron Phillips made the most of his opportunities Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in the second round of the Metro to finish two shots off the lead. JEFF GILBERT/CONTRIBUTED
Phillips, a rising sophomore at Kentucky from Portsmouth, added a 67 to his opening round 68 in spite of a more difficult day putting. But his driver and irons played well, and he birdied 15 and 16 to stay even with Hollenbeck.
“There’s some challenging holes, there’s also holes you can take advantage of, and the greens are kind of soft and really receptive right now, so you can kind of attack it,” Phillips said. “It’s really exciting because I know I can come out and shoot a really low one if I get everything clicking.”
Dietz, a rising sophomore at Division II Findlay from Botkins, shot 31 on the back nine to sit three shots behind Sutto.
“Started making a lot of birdies on the back and was feeling really good,” Dietz said. “Hopefully rolling tomorrow with the same kind of confidence and will play well.”
Dietz’s strategy is similar to thinking par every hole. He works to stay in the moment and not think about things like his score and the U.S. Amateur. He had to think that way on No. 13, a par 3 with an elevated tee. His tee shot landed pin high in the left rough. The pin was on the right side of the green, but Dietz chipped to about six feet and made par.
Ross Dietz chips onto the par 3 No. 13 hole and saved par with a six-foot putt Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in the second round of the Metro at Beavercreek Golf Club. Dietz is three shots off the lead. JEFF GILBERT/CONTRIBUTED
“I’ve hit thousands of chips in my life, I’ve hit thousands of six-footers in my life,” Dietz said. “Knowing that I can do it, just believing in yourself really is key.”
Former champions Bryce Haney (2021) and Jeff Scohy (2010) made the cut. Haney shot 70 and is 1-over par. Scohy birdied three holes down the stretch and shot 74 to finish at 3-over, one stroke below the cut line.