Alex Ellis, Cory Bull lead by one in bid to repeat at Hillcrest Swinger

Alex Ellis and Cory Bull played just so-so earlier this month at the Quarter Century golf tournament in Odessa, perhaps West Texas’ most prestigious mid-amateur partnership. But put them on the course at Hillcrest Golf & Country Club and their outlook brightens.

Ellis and Bull are trying to win the Hillcrest Swinger for the second year in a row, taking a one-shot lead into the final round after they carded a 5-under-par 67 on Saturday.

“Good things always happen when we come to Hillcrest,” said Ellis, a 31-year-old lefthander. “We play better here than anywhere else, I would say.”

The two Austin residents opened with a 63 on Friday and are 14-under through 36 holes in the two-man low-ball format. Three teams are right behind them at 13-under: Ben Winter-Mitchell Griffin, who shot a 63 Saturday, Mason Couch-Taylor Arreola (65) and John Cardinal-Jesse Speirs (66). Two shots off the lead are Beau Burgess and Jeff Maciejewski, one of three teams in the championship flight to shoot 63 on Saturday.

That makes for a lot of possibilities on Sunday, but Ellis and Bull are comfortable at Hillcrest. Two years ago, they fashioned a 57 on Saturday only to have their three-shot lead erased on Sunday by Brady Shivers and Michael Pruitt. Last year, they ended Shivers’ five-year run of titles, four with Pruitt, in Hillcrest’s showcase event.