Bill Murray entertained and Greenville’s William Jennings shook of jet lag to move up the leader board in round two

By Stan Olenik Editor-Publisher. The Golf Club

The BMW Charity Pro-Am reached its halfway point Friday, and the debut of The Country Club of Spartanburg as a companion course appeared to be a success.

Despite predictions that one of the shortest courses on the Korn Ferry Tour schedule would surrender unusually low scores, that never happened. With the course playing as a par 70, the best rounds in Spartanburg were five and six under par, comparable to the seven-under scores posted at Thornblade Club’s par-71 layout.

Hey Bill, thanks for playing

The largest galleries again followed Bill Murray, whose appearance provided a welcome boost to the celebrity field. While many fans came hoping for comedy, Murray reminded them he is also a golfer. Paired with longtime friend D.A. Points, Murray relied on local advice from his caddie and produced a number of quality shots during his rounds.

While Murray drew the crowds, another player generated interest for a different reason.

Jennings goes from the NCAA final to the BMW

Greenville native William Jennings arrived at the BMW just days after finishing second at the NCAA Championship, tying Alabama legend Jerry Pate for the highest national finish ever by a Crimson Tide golfer. The special sponsor exemption gave local fans a chance to watch one of the country’s top college players compete against professionals.

The timing, however, was less than ideal.

After completing the NCAA Championship in California, Jennings attended the awards presentation, boarded a red-eye flight and arrived back in South Carolina Tuesday morning.

“It’s been kind of a roller coaster,” Jennings said.

The former South Carolina high school champion showed signs of fatigue during Thursday’s opening round at The Country Club of Spartanburg. Several mistakes left him frustrated, even though he remained within striking distance of the cut line.

“I don’t know, some of the doubles I made, it was just kind of a blur,” Jennings said. “Definitely kind of running on fumes and trying to get as much out as I can.”

Jennings had another advantage Thursday beyond simply playing close to home. His grandfather, Spartanburg attorney John White, is a member at The Country Club of Spartanburg, giving Jennings numerous opportunities to play the course growing up.

The familiar layout offered little comfort this week.

“It was the hardest I’ve ever seen it play,” Jennings said. “I left a lot out there. Had a bunch of birdies. I just made some very poor decisions.”

A day later, with another night of rest and his tournament hopes on the line, Jennings looked much more like the player who spent the spring competing for national titles.

Playing at Thornblade, Jennings rebounded with a 5-under-par 66 to comfortably make the cut and move into a tie for 20th place entering the weekend.

The round was even more impressive considering an early double bogey on the fifth hole briefly knocked him back to even par for the day. Jennings responded with five birdies over the remainder of the round.

“College golf was a lot of fun, and I played really well,” Jennings said while reflecting on a season that included three victories and finalist status for virtually every major college golf award. “That makes it even more fun.”

Jennings tees off in the third round at 11:06 on Number 1

Jennings will begin the third round Saturday at Thornblade paired with former Florida State standout John Pak, a former ACC Player of the Year and Haskins Award winner.

As the celebrity portion of the BMW winds down and the weekend shifts its focus toward careers, rankings and prize money, Jennings has already accomplished one goal. What began as a special exemption for a local favorite has turned into a chance to contend against some of the best players on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Scores from the second round of the BMW https://www.pgatour.com/korn-ferry-tour/tournaments/2026/bmw-charity-pro-am-presented-by-td-synnex/H2026037/leaderboard

BMW Notebook

• Bill Murray and fellow celebrity Roger Clemens were among the notable names who failed to survive the celebrity portion of the tournament. Murray’s BMW week is not over, however. He is scheduled to perform Saturday night in Greenville with his band, Blood Brothers at Greenville 3’s..

• Among players with local ties, William Jennings, Carson Young and Taylor Dickson all advanced to weekend play. Jennings moved into a tie for 20th after a second-round 66 at Thornblade. Young and Dickson were also part of the group of 12 golfers tied for 20th entering Saturday’s third round.

• Former Clemson golfer Kyle Cottam posted one of the best rounds by players with area connections Friday, shooting a 5-under-par 66 at Thornblade.

• Saturday’s leaders groups will tee off beginning at 1:38 p.m. with Vicente Marzilio, Ben Kohles and Sam Choi sharing the 36-hole lead.

The Golf Channel will begin streaming coverage at 4PM with Broadcast coverage (TD) beginning at 5 PM.

SCgolfclub.com covers local golf in the Carolinas. Get our latest posts in your email when you subscribe