PITTSBURGH — Jack Boros eyed the green and told his father exactly how to attack the putt.

Joe Boros, a club professional at Treesdale Country Club, knew better than to doubt his 18-year-old son and caddie at the West Penn Open Championship at Fox Chapel Golf Club Monday.

“With the way he’s been putting lights out lately, I just listened,” the elder Boros said. “He has a knack for reading greens.”

In large part because of his work with the putter, Joe Boros shot a 3-under-par 137 in the first two rounds of the West Penn tournament Monday.

He is tied with Bennett Smith for third place, six strokes behind Dan Thompson, who shot a 9-under 131.

John Popeck of Washington, Pa., is in second place, five strokes off the lead.

The final round of the 54-hole championship event was scheduled to begin this morning.

“You never know what can happen,” Boros said. “If you get out there and have a good round, who knows? Anyone can come out of the pack and win this thing.”

Defending champion Rob McClellan won’t have that chance, however.

McClellan, a club pro at Butler Country Club, shot a 148 and missed the cut.

That has opened the door for others such as Thompson, who won the event in 2007 and 2009.

Thompson shot a 64 in the first round, two strokes better than the 66 put up by Boros.

“Dan Thompson showed that low scores were out there today,” said Smith, who won the Butler Eagle Amateur Open last year.

Smith lamented several missed opportunities, especially on the greens.

Smith, though, was consistent, shooting a 68 in the first round, then coming back in the afternoon with a 69.

“It was a pretty good day,” Smith said. “I didn’t make a lot of putts, but I didn’t make a lot of mistakes, either.

“There are three-to-four shots I wish I had back,” he added.

Smith said catching Thompson in the final round will be a difficult task.

“Six shots is a lot,” Smith said. “It’s a lot of shots to make up. But we’ll see what happens.”

This is the first time the West Penn Open Championship has gone to a format with two rounds played in one day.

Neither Boros nor Smith had a problem with the change.

“A championship should be a 54-hole event,” Smith said. “It’s hard for the West Penn Golf Association to get a course to commit to three-plus days.”

Players were permitted to use a cart in the second round. Pin placements were the same for both rounds as well.

“It was the same exact course both times,” Boros said.

Yet, the results were sometimes radically different.

Boros had an eagle on No. 2 in the first round, but came back with a bogie on the hole in the second round. That was part of the reason why Boros shot a 1-over 71 in the afternoon.

“I did well in the first round and not so well in the second round,” Boros said. “But it was fun to play that golf course. I always feel good when I play. I didn’t hit the ball too crooked out there.”

Pin placements will change for the third round this morning.

“Some of the placements (Monday) were very challenging,” Boros said. “In the final round, things can be radically different depending on where they are.”

Fox Chapel Golf Club has had a busy few weeks, hosting prestigious events such as the PGA Senior Players Championship just two weeks ago.

Yet both Boros and Smith said the course was in great shape.

“(Golf course superintendent) Jason Hurwitz deserves all the praise in the world for getting the golf course in the condition that it is in,” Smith said. “He’s really been working his tail off keeping the place in shape.”