KANNAPOLIS — The Adelphia North Carolina Open golf tourney had a definite Wolfpack flavor heading into this morning’s final round.

Two former North Carolina State University golfers, Jeff Lankford of Mocksville and Steve Isley of Oak Island, are leading the way at the Kannapolis Country Club.

Lankford, who starred at Davie County High School before getting a scholarship to N.C. State, fired a 6-under-par 66 in Wednesday’s second round, putting him at 9-under 135 for 36 holes.

First-round leader Isley followed up Tuesday’s 65 with a 71 for a 136 total.

“We’ve got about six of us (former N.C. State golfers) playing,” said Isley, mentioning Kelly Mitchum(142), two-time N.C. Open champion Gus Ulrich of Albemarle (144), Tag Wylie (144) and Todd Smith (162) as the other Wolfpackers. All except Smith made the 36-hole cut.

“We see each other at tournaments like this. Other than that, State has a State Cup that some of us go and play in,” said Isley, a club pro at St. James Plantation in Southport.

Isley was glad to be within one stroke of Lankford after the second round.

“I could have hurt myself today, but I didn’t, thank goodness,” said the 1991 NCSU graduate. “I’ll have to shoot low 60s or at least mid 60s tomorrow. I don’t think anything around 70 is going to beat anybody.”

He had eight birdies and a bogey while firing the 65 in the first round.

“I putted well yesterday. Today I hit the ball, but I didn’t make any putts of any length,” said Isley.

Lankford finished strong with an eagle 3 (No. 15) and two birdies in the final four holes to take the lead.

A teaching pro at Hickory Hills Country Club in Mocksville, Lankford is bidding for his sixth major Carolinas PGA title and his second N.C. Open crown.He won for the first time in 1993.

Amateur Lance Waggener of Statesville turned in the best nine-hole score when he shot a 6-under 30 on the back nine, giving him a 66. Waggener is two strokes back of Lankford at 137, sharing third place with Wilmington pro Bob Boyd.

Bryan Sullivan of Kitty Hawk is all alone in fifth place at 138.

A five-way tie for sixth place at 140 includes 18-year-old high schooler Russell Killough of Mint Hill. He stayed near the leaders by shooting even-par 72 after a solid 68 on Tuesday.

Tied with Killough are pros Michael Cato of Greenville, David Horne of Greensboro, Brian Wilkins of Charlotte and Bob Groff of Reidsville.

Other local and area golfers making the 36-hole cut (150) were China Grove amateur Todd Johnson(141), Concord amateur Keith Harris (143), Concord pros Lance Reid and Ken Guilford (143s), Albemarle amateur Mark Andrew and Concord pro Randy Joyner (144s), Mooresville pro Brian Glasco (145), Salisbury pro Jeff Austin (149), Kannapolis amateur John Tuttle and Concord amateur Brian Westveer (149s), and Lexington pro J.J. Fashimpaur (150).

Johnson, co-owner of Warrior Golf Club, tied for the third-best amateur score after 36 holes.

Austin is general manager of Kannapolis Country Club. Tuttle and Westveer are club members.

Eighty golfers were scheduled to tee off starting at 8 a.m. today for the third and final round of the $52,000 tournament. First place is worth $6,000.