It was moving day Wednesday during the second round of the Kentucky State Amateur golf tournament at Bowling Green Country Club.

Seventy-three golfers made the cut into today’s final round, and the contenders jockeyed into position for a last push for the 2013 title. Manchester’s Tyler McDaniel moved ahead of the field at 9 under par after shooting a 5-under 67, while two-time defending champion Patrick Newcomb is lurking at 4 under after shooting a 1-over 73 Wednesday.

“Not very good. Just didn’t hit hardly any quality shots at all,” a frustrated Newcomb said of his second round. “Maybe three or four (good shots) all day, just grinding, had it around even par, turned it 1 under and definitely shouldn’t have. Just didn’t do much of anything today. Just bad golf.”

The 102nd annual event started with 156 of the state’s top amateur players. Those remaining will take to the course one final time today on 18 holes that played tougher and quicker than the opening round.

“It’s drying up and when it dries up it can play pretty tough,” McDaniel said. “If you keep it in the fairway, you should be fine out here.”

A rising junior at Clay County High School, McDaniel is the reigning Golf House Kentucky Junior Player of the Year. He birdied the second, eighth, 13th and 14th and eagled the par-5 fifth to surge through the second round.

“That back nine was such a struggle,” he said. “I started spraying it a little bit, especially down the stretch. I couldn’t get any putts to fall. Finally got one to fall on the last hole for eight pars and a birdie on that side. The front side was just stress free – hit it on the fairway, hit it on the green and make a couple putts.”

Will Bishop took the early lead into the clubhouse after the day’s morning rounds with a 4-under 68, putting him at 3 under for the tournament. He sits in fifth after those who teed off in the afternoon session had finished their rounds on a warm, breezeless day.

Transylvania University golfer Clay Hinton of Elizabethtown, the leader after 18 holes, shot even-par 72 Wednesday to remain at 6 under and sits in second place. Bowling Green’s Matt Fuqua recorded a 2-under 70 for the second straight day to place himself tied for third with Newcomb.

“There’s going to be more pressure the second day when you have the lead, always,” Hinton said. “But you got to realize it’s just the second day. Starting today I had 36 holes of golf left. That’s plenty of golf. You just have to take it one shot at a time.”

Newcomb is trying to become the third player in the history of the Kentucky State Amateur to win the event three years running. He said he planned to stay at the course until near dark to work on his game going into today.

McDaniel, conversely, isn’t fixing what’s not broken.

“I’m hitting 3-wood on a lot of holes, not pulling out a lot of drivers and that’s working,” he said. “I’m going to stick to it.”

The final round began today at 8 a.m. The tournament leaders – McDaniel, Hinton and Newcomb – were scheduled to tee off at 9:48 a.m.