City Championship features close battle

David Maldonado didn’t think he’d played that well on Friday, yet he kept himself in contention in the Clovis City Championship tournament at Municipal Golf Course.

Maldonado struggled with his putter much of the day, yet scrambled to an even-par 70 to trail defending champion Robert Goff by one stroke in the 54-hole event.

“I couldn’t quite get the ball to the hole,” Maldonado said of his putting. “I left most of them about a foot short.

“But I wasn’t disappointed in how I played. I gave myself chances.”

Maldonado said after shooting 1-under 34 through nine holes, he struggled with his driver the rest of the way.

“The thing that cost me on the backside was I only hit one fairway,” Maldonado said.

Four players were bunched within three shots of Goff in Championship Flight with Dave Gutierrez at 71 and Pat Peralez and Josh Hurley at 72.

The day’s best score came in First Flight, where Ronnie Romero shot a 2-under 68.

“It’s all going to come down to who’s putting good,” Maldonado said. “It’s still anybody’s game right now.”