Tag: Harris English

2023 Honda Classic: Odds, course history, players to watch and picks to win

Can Shane Lowry get his revenge at PGA National after coming oh-so-close last year?

After back-to-back designated events and a long run on the West Coast, the PGA Tour is headed to Florida for the next month, starting with the Honda Classic at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens.

Due to its place in the schedule, the field is underwhelming.

Sungjae Im and Billy Horschel are a few of the big names while Sepp Straka returns to defend his title.

This year will mark the end of Honda’s sponsorship of the event as the Tour narrows down the list of potential replacements.

Pierceson Coody, the 2022 PGA Tour University No. 1 and two-time Korn Ferry Tour winner, will make his first start on Tour as a professional.

Golf course

PGA National | Par 70 | 7,125 yards | Tom Fazio design

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Course comparisons (according to Data Golf): 1. Ridgewood Country Club, 2. Grand Reserve Country Club, 3. CordeValle GC

PGA National Champion
No. 11 at PGA National’s Champion Course in Florida (Courtesy of PGA National)

Course history

Odds, picks to win

Will Zalatoris leads list of notables to miss the Thursday cut at Farmers Insurance Open

Zalatoris missed a birdie putt at the last that would have awarded him a Friday tee time.

Welcome to your rare Thursday 36-hole cut report.

The wind huffed and puffed and blew half the field at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines on their way out of town. It took even-par 144 to survive and advance and claim a Friday tee time and remain alive with a chance to hoist the trophy and go home with the winner’s surfboard on Saturday.

It will be a big field with 19 players tied for 54th place, including Rickie Fowler and Tony Finau, who both made birdies at the last to give themselves a chance to try and catch 36-hole leader Sam Ryder (-12). But not everyone was so lucky. Here are some of the notable names to miss the cut.

Sony Open: 5 things to know from the first round including Jordan Spieth’s confidence, Tiger’s advice for Taylor Montgomery & the Short Game Chef is cooking

Jordan Spieth is tied for the lead heading to Friday in Hawaii.

HONOLULU — On another glorious day of sunshine on the island of Oahu, Jordan Spieth shot 6-under 64 at Waialae Country Club to share the opening-round lead at the Sony Open in Hawaii with Chris Kirk and Taylor Montgomery when play was halted by darkness.

Spieth said he drove it well, hit a bunch of good wedges and his putter was more friend than foe. What a difference a boost of confidence can make. The 29-year-old Spieth put the field on notice that he’s going to be a force to be reckoned with this week, saying that he’s got plenty more in the tank.

“I would say like I started really well in 2018, ’19, maybe a couple events in ’20 where a day like today where I shot 5 or 6 under to start — I think I remember doing it at Travelers one time and the PGA in ’19. I just remember thinking, I know where my game is at and I can maybe fake it as best I can, but I don’t really have great control,” he explained. “I used my hands really well for a couple days. Conveniently the first two in a row. So it’s not like I didn’t believe, it’s just I have a good idea of where things are at and if I have that shot or don’t have that shot.

“This is different. The last couple years have been a little different where off to a good start and I’m like, OK, I think I can improve a little to gain just a little bit more control, but I was in really good control. And for me, it’s about freedom. It’s not separating arms from the body and having to save shots. It’s feeling like I’m in front of them and being able to hold them off and nice fluid strokes on the greens.

“That’s really all it comes down to. Seems simple, but when you’re still fighting the urge to want to hit it hard or get over some bad habits, days like today I’m not surprised, but what I will say is I’m confident relative to other time periods I’ve been off to similar starts, which is a really good place to be. I believe I can shoot 5- or 6-under each day out here. Not to say that that means it’ll happen, but there are other times I would be sitting there going, how do I hold this (stuff) together, to be honest. Seriously.”

Here are four more things to know from the first round at Waialae Country Club.

Sahith Theegala, Gary Woodland, Harris English among notables to miss cut at 2022 Sanderson Farms Championship

Here’s who has the weekend off.

JACKSON, Miss. – It’s time for the weekend.

The first two rounds of the 2022 Sanderson Farms Championship at The Country Club of Jackson are complete. It’s the second event of the PGA Tour’s 2022-23 season. Scores were lower during the second round, as numerous players climbed up the leaderboard to put themselves in position ahead of moving day.

Thomas Detry fired his second consecutive round of 5-under 67, and he leads at 10-under 134. Mackenzie Hughes caught fire Friday, shooting 8-under 64, and he’s one back of Detry. Sepp Straka is tied with Hughes after his round of 6-under 66.

The cut was 2-under 142. There are 78 players moving on to the weekend.

Here’s a look at a few notable names who missed the cut at the Sanderson Farms Championship:

Wyndham Championship: Who’s got the weekend off and whose FedEx Cup bubble burst

These notable players missed the cut and some saw their FedEx Cup bubbles burst.

For the “Bubble Boys,” those trying to secure a berth in the 125-man field for next week’s first of three FedEx Cup playoff events, making the cut is job No. 1.

Consider it mission accomplished for the likes of Max McGreevey, No. 126 in the points standings heading into the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina. McGreevey shot 67 in the second round of the regular season finale and has improved to a projected 122nd.

After finishing second at the Puerto Rico Open in March, McGreevy had made the cut in only four of his 19 starts before this week, and had missed the cut in six of his last seven events.

“I just had a lot of fun this week,” he said. “It’s been easier than it has been the last couple of weeks somehow, but just felt good, felt relaxed and feels good to finally get four rounds for a week.”

Chesson Hadley, who started the week at No. 121, made three birdies in a row en route to shooting 67, and last’s year Bubble Boy put himself in position where he might not need an ace or a final-round 62 to sneak into the FedEx Cup playoffs. He’s projected at No. 113.

Nick Taylor (71, -2) survived the cut but has slipped from No. 120 at the start of the week to a projected 125th.

Congrats to Brian Stuard, who ended a streak of 11 straight missed cuts. It couldn’t have come at a better time. He entered the week at No. 137 in the FedEx Cup point standings. He’s projected at No. 124.

Austin Smotherman, who started the week at No. 125, wasn’t so fortunate. He shot 76 in the second round to miss the cut and is projected to drop to No. 129.

Martin Trainer shot a second straight 67 and is currently projected 126th, otherwise known as the first guy out. But he still has two more rounds to improve his position and a positive attitude going into the weekend.

“I know what’s at stake, it’s no different than any other week. I mean, I think ultimately I know that I just need to do well,” he said. “Every time I play a Tour event I’m trying my best anyway, so I’ll just look at it as a curiosity, but ultimately it’s out of my control, so to speak. I’m just trying my best.”

U.S. Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson also still has work to do over the weekend – projected at No. 136 – but has a chance after shooting 5-under 135.

“I’ve got a lot of work to do. Put myself in a position so I can at least make a run on the weekend,” Johnson said. “My focus is to win a golf tournament and the rest of it will take care of itself, but I’m in a position where I can do that.”

Play was suspended on Friday due to darkness with seven golfers still needing to complete the second round. Thanks to Chris Gotterup, who made bogey at 18, another 21 players will earn a paycheck this week. In all, 87 golfers from the field of 156 made the cut. It marks the most players to make the cut on Tour since the cut rule changed to low 65 and ties to start the 2019-20 season. It took a score of 1-under 139 to play the weekend, but Smotherman, who was at 1 under and faced a 12-foot birdie putt at No. 8 when play resumed on Saturday morning, isn’t one of them. He missed the putt and made double-bogey at nine, bursting his playoff bubble in the process.

Here’s a look at some of the notable players who were on the wrong side of the cutline.

Here’s a closer look at a few PGA Tour players on the bubble ahead of the 2022 FedEx Cup Playoffs

Several players are still angling to make the PGA Tour postseason. Some are just inside the cutline while others have work to do.

The PGA Tour regular season is coming to an end Sunday, meaning the FedEx Cup playoffs begin next week.

The Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina, will offer some PGA Tour players one last chance to improve their position or perhaps even make it into the field of 125 for the playoffs.

Since the points structure changed in 2009, an average of fewer than three players per year entered the final week of FedEx Cup regular season outside the top 125 in the standings and went on to qualify for the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

Some players also will look to crack the top 200 in the FedEx Cup Eligibility Points List to qualify for the Korn Ferry Tour Finals, which is set for September 1-4 at Victoria National Golf Club in Newburgh, Indiana.

Scottie Scheffler, who has four wins this season, leads the FedEx Cup standings by more than 1,000 points over second-place Cameron Smith. Tony Finau, who has won the past two weeks, is up to No. 7.

Wyndham Championship: PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ | Leaderboard

The three-event playoff series starts at the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, next week, but many in the field at the Wyndham Championship this week will be angling to keep their seasons alive.

Here’s a closer look at some interesting names in the FedEx Cup points standings, including some who are in the field and others who need a big week to make the playoffs.

Seven former Georgia Bulldogs set to compete at The Open Championship

Tee times: seven former Georgia Bulldog golfers including Kevin Kisner are set to compete at The 2022 Open Championship.

Seven former Georgia Bulldog golf stars are set to compete at The Open Championship. The 2022 Open Championship will be held at The Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland.

The PGA major tournament runs July 14-17. The Open Championship, or the British Open as it is often called, has a purse of $14 million.

Kevin Kisner, Brian Harman, Sepp Straka, Keith Mitchell, Russell Henley, Harris English, and Chris Kirk are all former Georgia Bulldogs that have qualified for the prestigious PGA Tour event.

When do they all tee off (all times are for Thursday) and what have been some of their recent successes?

Golf: Here’s a list of the 7 longest playoffs in the history of the PGA Tour

Kramer Hickok went shot-for-shot with veteran Harris English in one of the most draining and fascinating playoffs.

Kramer Hickok, Jordan Spieth’s former Texas roommate and later his Dallas housemate, went shot-for-shot with veteran Harris English in one of the most draining and fascinating playoffs in the history of the PGA Tour during the 2021 Travelers Championship.

Hickok buried a number of key putts down the stretch and although he lost on the eighth playoff hole, he clearly had won over the crowd at TPC River Highlands, many of whom chanted his name as the playoff wore on.

Hickok thought he had the tournament won on two different occasions. With English plugged in a greenside bunker on the second playoff hole, Hickok started to pump his fist as it appeared a 43-foot birdie putt was going in, but it curled around the cup and lipped out. His par was virtually guaranteed, putting all the pressure on English, but the former University of Georgia All-American drained the seven-footer to save par and extend the playoff.

Here’s a look at the seven longest playoffs in the history of the PGA Tour:

5 former Georgia Bulldogs competing in the U.S. Open

Who are the five former Georgia Bulldog golf standouts that are competing in the 2022 U.S. Open golf tournament? Three are in the same group!

The 2022 U.S. Open is being held at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. The prestigious golf tournament is the 122nd edition of the U.S. Open. It is the PGA Tour’s third major of the season.

The U.S Open is held June 16-19. Amazingly, three former Georgia Bulldogs are all in the same group for the first two days of the event. Has something like that ever happened in the history of the PGA Tour?

The University of Georgia has the strongest presence on the PGA Tour of any college golf program.

Who are the five former Georgia Bulldog golf standouts that are competing in the 2022 U.S. Open golf tournament?

Can Harris English be in the mix at Southern Hills after hip surgery? He thinks so

English said returning to action at a major probably isn’t the best way to ease in.

A stellar 2021 season has been mostly a wash for Harris English of St. Simons Island, Ga.

After winning twice, cracking the top-10 on the Official World Golf Ranking and making his Ryder Cup debut at Whistling Straits (he went 1-2 but lost both matches on the 18th hole), English hasn’t played since the Sony Open in January after hip surgery. He’s had a bone growth on his femur, which he treated with platelet-rich plasma injections, but surgery was inevitable and he finally pulled the trigger at a facility in Vail, Colo.

English was one of only two top-20 players to miss The Players Championship and the four-time Tour winner missed the Masters for the first time he was eligible, denying the Valdosta native and former University of Georgia player the chance to improve on his tied for 21st in 2021.

“It sucked to miss the Masters and Match Play and tournaments I really like,” English told the Associated Press. “But I was looking at the next eight to 10 years of having a chance to compete and win golf tournaments.”

Tour Championship
Harris English reacts on the 15th hole after getting a hole in during the first round of the Tour Championship golf tournament. (Photo: Adam Hagy-USA TODAY Sports)

English now thinks he can play for the first time in five months at the PGA Championship at Southern Hills. He’s been taking long walks on St. Simons and recently began hitting short irons with his coach Justin Parsons.

“They liked where everything was at,” English said of doctors’ opinions. “It feels like there’s definitely light at the end of the tunnel.”

English said returning to action at a major probably isn’t the best way to ease in.

“You’ve got to start somewhere,” he said. “I’ll prepare as much as I can to win.”

See more notes from Garry Smits of the Florida Times-Union here.

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