Fricke played the back nine first and went out in one-under par 35, and finished strong with a stretch of three straight birdies on holes two through four to get to six-under for the championship.
Fricke is attempting to become the first repeat champion of the Georgia Open since Dicky Thopmson won at Jekyll Island in 1998 and 1999.
In a tie for third place at two-under par for the championship are Chris Wolfe of Warner Robins and PGA apprentice Chris Nicol of Marietta. Both Wolfe and Nicol fired even par rounds of 72 today. PGA teaching professional and reigning Georgia PGA player of the year, Craig Stevens of Dallas and mini-tour professionals Joe Young of Cochran and Brent Witcher of Atlanta are tied for 5th place at one-under par 143.
Tyler Mitchell of Chatsworth is the low amateur through two rounds after shooting a round of four-over par 76 in the second round and stands at two-over par 146, 8 shots behind the leaders.
Former Atlanta Braves pitching great, John Smoltz of Atlanta shot a round of three-over par 75 and missed the cut by two shots. It is the second straight time that Smoltz failed to play the weekend in four appearances at the state championship of golf for Georgia. The cut line came at seven-over par 151 and 60 players made the cut.
The Legends at Chateau Elan is a private golf club that gracefully winds through the heart of Chateau Elan. Unique by design, The Legends at Chateau Elan is crafted from the worldly experience of three great champions: Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead, and Kathy Whitworth. Each was asked to select six of their all-time favorite holes, and the result is a classic 18, bearing certain design elements from the legends' selections. Certainly noticeable at The Legends at Chateau Elan is the tribute to traditional golf course architecture of the early 1900's. For the week the course is set up as a par 72 and plays a total length of 7,003 yards.
An online leader board, featuring all competitors' complete scorecards, will be available during the tournament at www.georgiapga.com. The final two rounds will feature live, hole-by-hole scoring for several of the leading groups as well as nine-hole updates for all the other groups.
The Georgia PGA is one of the 41 Sections of the PGA of America. Its membership includes over 830 PGA professionals working at over 260 golf courses, clubs, and ranges throughout the state. Additionally, more than 20 Georgia PGA members compete on one of the PGA Tours. In keeping with the fundamental objectives laid down by its founders, one of the Georgia PGA's primary goals is promoting the game of golf through clinics, junior and minority golf programs, consumer programs, and print, radio, and television media.
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