PALM HARBOR, Fla. – Bobby Jones famously said that golf is a game played on a five-inch course, the space between your ears.
Matthew NeSmith can relate. The 28-year-old former South Carolina Gamecock torched Innisbrook’s Copperhead course to the tune of 10-under 61, a career-low that tied the course record.
NeSmith’s bogey-free round included eight birdies and an eagle as he improved to 14-under 128 and a two-stroke lead at the Valspar Championship over former champion Adam Hadwin.
NeSmith, who missed the cut last week at the Players Championship and hasn’t recorded a top-10 finish in 14 starts this season, said he’s improved his driving, chipping, and putting, but hasn’t played any better.
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“At some point in time that falls on me and that falls on how I act and how I think and how I want to feel,” NeSmith said.
Fed up with getting in his own way, NeSmith decided to “let the chips fall where they may,” this week. So far, he’s bogey-free for 36 holes. He followed up an opening-round 67 with an eagle at 14 and birdies on six of the holes on the way to the clubhouse. The only thing that slowed NeSmith down was someone pouring a bucket of water or ice in a luxury box behind the green as he lined up his 18-foot birdie putt on the last. He backed off the putt twice and missed right of the hole to break the course record. NeSmith’s new mental approach, which included not writing down his scores until he reached the scoring area, has been paying quick dividends.
“I’m done with the anxiety,” he said. “I’m done with trying so hard.”
Taking the lead in style 🎯
-9 on the day and @Matt_KneeSmith isn't done yet. pic.twitter.com/WVpxxX2wk3
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 18, 2022
Hadwin, who followed up an opening-round 64 with a 5-under 66 in the morning wave, also credited his mental sharpness for his strong play through two rounds.
“My mind has been pretty good this week, staying patient, not getting too worried about any sort of missed shots or anything,” he said.
But Hadwin couldn’t pinpoint whether he had done anything differently to get into a better state of mind.
“I’m really trying to figure out whether it was the chicken or the egg, whether the good golf put me in a better mental state or my mental state put me playing better golf,” he said. “I find myself much more relaxed on the golf course. Some of those missed shots just aren’t bothering me as much.”
Scott Stallings and defending champion Sam Burns are tied for third at 11 under. Burns used a 40-foot eagle at the par-5 14th to jump start his round after a sluggish start and signed for 67.
“The 4-iron I hit on 14 was exactly how I wanted,” Burns said.
Last year, Burns notched his first PGA Tour win at the Valspar. NeSmith would like to do the same and in doing so earn a berth to the Masters not far from where he grew up and lives in Aiken, South Carolina. To do so, he’ll likely have to keep going low and try to be comfortable with being uncomfortable with his mental approach.
“It’s fairly new, it’s quite uncomfortable, to be honest with you, but I’m excited to go through this weekend and try it and see what happens,” he said.
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