CLOQUET — Sam Baker’s second round of the Cloquet Invitational was more steady than stupendous, but it was still enough to be the low round of the day on Saturday, July 9, and extend his huge lead going into the final round.
Baker followed his first-round 66 with an even-par 71 on Saturday at Cloquet Country Club, extending his advantage over the field to nine shots going into Sunday.
Baker played the front nine in 2-under to get to 7-under for the tournament, but made bogeys on 11, 15 and 18 (alongside a birdie on 13) to slip back to 5-under through 36 holes.
Jim Stafford enters Saturday in second place at 4-over after back-to-back 73’s. The 2018 winner had four birdies, but was saddled with four bogeys and a double bogey.
The second-best score of the day was a 1-over 72 from Dan Moline, who also made four birdies to go with three bogeys and a double. He is in a three-way tie for third at 5-over with Brian Moores, who shot his second consecutive 74, and 2020 champion Alex Kolquist, who carded a 73 on Saturday.
The final group is tentatively scheduled to start at 2:40 p.m. on Sunday.