Korbin Kuehn makes the cut at Web.com Midwest Classic

Korbin Kuehn’s friends and family jumped and cheered at the 18th hole on Friday after watching Kuehn par the hole to make the projected cut in the Web.com Midwest Classic on a hot and windy day at Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate.

Kuehn, 24, a former Blue Valley West and UMKC golfer, entered the day at 5-under 66. He shot a 3-over 74 on Friday to bring his score to 2-under par. The cut to play in Saturday’s third round was set at 1-under par. A total of 72 players made the cut from the original 156-player field.

Leader Zack Sucher from Birmingham, Ala., is 13-under through two rounds of play. He shot an 8-under 63 Friday.

Kuehn double-bogeyed the first hole, his only double-bogey of the tournament. He bogeyed three other holes and birdied two on the day.

“(Friday) was rough, (Friday) was frustrating, but I was proud of myself that I got through it,” Kuehn said. “My caddie helped a lot. But it was fun with everybody watching. It was just a good time.”

Kuehn’s caddie is former Southern Methodist University golfer Harry Higgs, who played in this year’s Watson Challenge at Loch Lloyd in June.

“It was awesome,” Kuehn said of having Higgs as his caddy. “We’re god buddies, and he helped a lot.”

Both Kuehn and Higgs are members at LionsGate. Kuehn said his familiarity with the course was helpful, but playing in front of his family and friends was something he had to get used to.

“It’s different. I really like it,” he said.

The Midwest Classic is Kuehn’s second Web.com Tour event. He also played in the 2013 Midwest Classic but missed the cut.

Fellow BV West graduate and former K-State golfer Curtis Yonke shot a round of even par on Friday and barely missed the cut with his 1-over total after two days.

The wind made Friday’s round especially challenging.

“It was tough,” said Australian golfer Jarrod Lyle. “It made some of those longer holes quite a bit shorter and made some of those shorter holes quite a bit longer, so it was a different golf course out there (Friday).”

Lyle, 32, who is playing in his first U.S. tournament in 29 months after battling leukemia for a second time in 2012, shot a 2-under 69 Friday and is tied for eighth place at 6-under.

Sucher did not seem to be too bothered by the wind. “I drove it really well for the first part, and then I putted it really well,” he said. “Usually when those two go together, you have a low number.”

Thursday’s leader, Paul Haley II from Dallas Texas, fell to fifth place at 7-under after shooting a 71 Friday.

Aaron Watkins, 32, a former Kansas State golfer from Winter Park, Fla., sits in third place after shooting a 6-under 65 for a total of 10-under 132.

Richmond native and former University of New Mexico golfer Michael Letzig shot 2-over 73 for a total of 4-over 146.

This story was originally published July 25, 2014 at 9:54 PM with the headline "Korbin Kuehn makes the cut at Web.com Midwest Classic."