Division leaders pulling away at Senior Desert Showdown at Las Vegas National Golf Club

Las Vegas National Golf Club is a historic place, and Jerry Gunthorpe may very well add in a chapter of his own there. Gunthorpe, from Ovid, Michigan, held his lead through the second round of the Golfweek Senior Desert Showdown at the historic desert course and now will take a three-shot lead into Friday’s final round.

Gunthorpe opened with 2-under 69 then backed that up with a second-round 73. He maintained his lead despite a triple-bogey 7 on the ninth hole. Otherwise, Gunthorpe only had three birdies and two bogeys on his card.

Las Vegas National is home to the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame and has hosted several PGA Tour and LPGA tour events throughout the years. The Rat Pack also used to frequent the course. It has a different feel than many desert courses in the area. General manager Joe Kelly called it a “northeastern-type facility” because of the wall-to-wall grass and mature trees as opposed to barren desert carries.

Gunthorpe, who earlier this summer finished fourth at the George C. Thomas Senior Invitational at Las Angeles Country Club, must hold off a handful of stronger pursuers in the final round to claim the title at the Senior Desert Showdown.

Chad Branton of Cartersville, Georgia, and Craig Hurlbert of The Woodlands, Texas, are 3 over.

A three-way tie for fourth includes Craig Larson of Kapalua, Hawaii; Joe Sposi of Scottsdale, Arizona; and Bryan Hoops of Tempe, Arizona.

In the Super Senior division, a similar story played out as first-round leader Jon Valuck of Scottsdale, Arizona, not only maintained his lead but began to pull away. Valuck, who is 1 over after rounds of 72-71, began the day with a four-shot lead and by the end of the day, had increased it to eight shots. He leads David Nelson of Littleton, Colorado.

Defending champion Greg Goode of Salina, Kansas, is fifth at 15 over.

In the Legend division, David Ujihara of Brea, California, pulled out of a first-round tie for the lead with John Turk. Ujihara, at 2 over, now leads Turk, a Las Vegas resident, by four shots.

David Crocker, of Bluffton, South Carolina, has a six-shot cushion over Richard Hunt of Bixby, Oklahoma, in the Super Legends division.