Reno, NV – Former PGA TOUR member Brian Vranesh of Phoenix, AZ and recent college star James Erkenbeck of San Diego, CA matched 36-hole totals of 11-under 133 through two rounds at eGolf’s inaugural ArrowCreek Open on Wednesday afternoon. The duo sit one shot clear of the field heading into Thursday’s third and final round, where an exemption into the TOUR’s Reno-Tahoe Open awaits the tournament champion.

Vranesh opened his week at host ArrowCreek Country Club with a Sunday practice round alongside a few locals who gave him some tips on the diabolical greens at the Arnold Palmer-designed Legends Course.

“I played with a few guys in the practice round on Sunday, and they gave me some tips on the greens, which were very helpful,” said Vranesh, 37. “These greens are so good, that if you hit a good putt, it’s going to go in. But they’re so undulating that it can be tough to get it on line sometimes.”

After opening his week with a 6-under 66 to sit two shots off the 18-hole lead, Vranesh teed off in Wednesday’s opening threesome off of No. 1, posting three birdies and a bogey in his first six holes to turn at 2-under 34.

“It was a good start for me today. I had a really good draw this week, going out first in the afternoon on Tuesday and first out this morning,” Vranesh said. “Yesterday we got a bit of wind in the afternoon, but this morning, we had great conditions for scoring.”

The 15-year professional pared Nos. 10 and 11 to remain at 8-under for the week, then hit the gas, finishing his day with a birdie-bogey-birdie-birdie-birdie-birdie-bogey stretch on Nos. 12 through 18 to round out a 5-under 67, in turn setting the early clubhouse number at 11-under par.

“It’s been a tale of two nines for me each day,” said Vranesh. “The first day I went out in 1-under par and then closed in 5-under, and today was the complete opposite in terms of nines.”

Vranesh could have gained sole possession of the lead on 18, but watched as a 6-foot par try lipped out after his “worst iron shot of the week” left him with a closing bogey.

The former College of the Canyons star spent 2007 on the Web.com Tour before breaking through at Q-School in December of 2008, where a T18 finish left him on golf’s grandest stage in 2009.

In his lone season on the PGA TOUR, Vranesh made just six cuts in 20 starts, but notched a T8 at the Buick Open to secure his first top-10. One of his made cuts came at the Reno-Tahoe Open, where he finished T53.

Vranesh spent 2010 through 2012 back on the PGA TOUR’s developmental circuit, collecting a trio of top-10 finishes, including a runner-up at the 2010 Chitimacha Louisiana Open – where he lost to former U.S. Amateur champion Bubba Dickerson on the first playoff hole.

“It’s been a tough two years. I have two kids now, and that takes away from practicing a bit,” said Vranesh in a phone interview. “My putting has been holding me back for a while. I don’t know, I changed something this week with my putting, and it seems to be working out, so I’m going to ride it as long as I can.”

As a guy who turned professional when half the ArrowCreek field was in junior high school, Vranesh knows as well as anyone what one good week on the PGA TOUR can mean. With a possible return to the Reno-Tahoe Open on the line tomorrow, he’s opted to focus on staying in the present, knowing there’s a lot of golf left to be played.

“I played there in 2009,” said Vranesh of the Reno-Tahoe Open. “Tomorrow is what it is. I’m going to have to go out there and shoot the same score again. You know, I played well here that year and made the cut. It’s a good vibe here in Reno, so I’m just going to try and take things one shot at a time.”

Erkenbeck, who entered the day tied for the lead after an 8-under 64, bogeyed the par-4 10th (his first), but rallied soon thereafter in the day’s afternoon wave, notching birdies on 15, 16 and 17 to turn in 2-under 34.

The 24-year-old birdied the par-4 second to reach 11-under for the week, but played even-par golf thereafter, finishing out his day with two birdies and two bogeys over his final seven holes to card a 3-under 69 – matching Vranesh in the clubhouse at 11-under par.

Erkenbeck has made three starts this year on eGolf Tour West, winning his debut at the Golf Club of California Classic in January, then adding a runner-up effort at the Championship at Soboba Springs three weeks later.

As one of the top players in UNM’s storied golf history, Erkenbeck earned first-team “All

America” honors in 2013 after being named the Mountain West Conference “Player of the Year.”

The Lobo standout, who wound up with the second-lowest scoring average in school history upon graduation, was named to the U.S. Palmer Cup team in 2013, and later finished as a semifinalist at the U.S. Public Links Championship.

James Erkenbeck

Chris Gilman of Yorba Linda, CA is alone in third place, one shot back of the co-leaders at 10-under 134.

Gilman, a former University of Denver golfer, joined Erkenbeck atop the day one leaderboard after posting an 8-under 64 on Tuesday morning.

In the second round, the 27-year-old turned in 1-under 35, then took the outright lead with birdies on 12, 14 and 16 that pushed him to 12-under par for the week. From there, the wheels came off a bit, as closing bogeys on 17 and 18 left him with a 2-under 70 and a 10-under-par tally.

In just three starts this year on eGolf Tour West, Gilman has posted three top-20 finishes – including a T3 at the Championship at Oak Valley three weeks ago. The former Pioneers standout came to the par-4 finishing hole that week to possibly force his way into overtime, but bogeyed the 18th to fall two shots shy of a playoff.

Ryan Dillon of Desert Hills, AZ, who lost the Oak Valley playoff to Jesse Mueller, is alone in fourth place at 9-under 135. The 37-year-old won eGolf Tour West’s inaugural event last September with a final-round 63 at the Championship at Southern Dunes.

The 36-hole cut came at 1-under 143, with 38 players making it to Thursday’s third and final round. Final-round play in the ArrowCreek Open will begin at 7:00 AM (PST) on Thursday morning, with players competing in twosomes off of No. 1 tee. The tournament is open to the public and free of charge.