Here’s a look at some of the bigger names who were sent packing early.
LAS VEGAS — As part of the FedEx Cup Fall, players either fighting to maintain their PGA Tour cards or looking for entrance into the first two Signature events had plenty to play for at the Shriners Children’s Open at TPC Summerlin.
But not everyone will be around for the weekend.
Windy conditions on Thursday morning put some players in a tough spot to make the cut this week and others simply didn’t play well enough to move on.
Although a few players saved their best for when they needed it: Brandt Snedeker, James Hahn and Scott Piercy all made birdie on their final hole of the day to eke out a place on the right side of a cutline that landed at 3 under.
Here’s a look at some of the bigger names who were sent packing early.
Players typically serve as advisors on these projects, but this was more of a polite debate than a straight strategy session.
FORT WORTH, Texas — Before revered golf course architect Gil Hanse was signed on the dotted line to lead a massive $20 million overhaul of Colonial Country Club, longtime member and Colonial advocate Ryan Palmer sat in a room with Hanse to hash out a few details.
Players typically serve as advisors on these projects, but according to Charles Schwab Challenge Tournament Chairman Jim Whitten, this was more of a polite debate than a straight strategy session. Palmer and caddie James Edmondson, who has won the Colonial club championship five times, talked through a few of the holes they’ve seen in other places, some of which they haven’t been particularly fond of.
“That was a turning point. There were a lot of people bitching about the money and some other things,” said Whitten, who was driving around the course on Friday in his Tartan plaid members coat. “This was an airing of grievances about some of the stuff he’s done across the country. At one point, Ryan said, ‘Tell me what you did on 17 at TPC Boston. Tell me what your explanation is, what you did with that green. I hated that hole.’ Gil explained why he did some of these things and both he and James went, ‘OK, I get it now.’ And then Gil explained what he wanted to do here at the club, so they kind of went back and forth.”
Soon after that meeting about a year ago, the paperwork was signed and Hanse agreed to help revamp the acclaimed club, which was designed by the duo of Texas’ John Bredemus and Oklahoma’s Perry Maxwell, and opened in 1936. The course ranks 85th on Golfweek’s Best Classic Courses 2022 list.
The project still needed the club’s support and to help garner favor Hanse set up a number of open meetings for club members to attend and poke holes in the plan.
After the meetings, which Palmer and Edmondson took part in, 85 percent of the members voted in favor of the plan, even with the hefty price tag.
“You can’t get 85 percent of the people to vote on what’s black and what’s white,” Whitten said. “So we were very happy with that kind of support.”
Palmer took part in the final walkthrough of the plans with Hanse and Tour officials in advance of this week’s event. The four-time PGA Tour winner said the end result will put a shine on a golf course that has been a stern test for Tour players for decades.
“It’s going to be spectacular,” Palmer said. “We kind of put our little stamp of approval, I guess you could say, of being a Tour player. I was able to talk about different shots we wanted to see, what we don’t do and don’t want you to do to the golf course.
“The plans are going to be unbelievable. This will be the best golf course in town easily, I think, after it’s all said and done. Just the way it plays, it stands up to the game’s greatest each and every year, and this course shows. I think it’s going to get harder for us, and I’m excited for the membership and for the city of Fort Worth.”
Ryan Palmer plays a shot from the first tee during the first round of the 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge golf tournament at Colonial Country Club. Palmer was the first player to tee off as professional golf made its return. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports
A much-needed revamp
Although the course is among the shorter on the PGA Tour, the reason for the redesign had little to do with adding length. In fact, that wasn’t even on the task sheet for Hanse, according to Whitten, who has been a member at Colonial for 31 years.
“We had significant drainage and irrigation problems. And our greens, depending on how bad the summer was were really getting stressed out,” Whitten said. “Our greens are thirty-something years old and they were having layer after layer fixing and this and sanding and all this stuff, so they got bigger. And when you do that, it creates an area that holds moisture in it, which isn’t good for the green and it needs to get in and out of the green. So holding moisture was a problem and so when it was all said this golf course has not been looked at in many years.”
Although a few greens were redone two decades ago, many of them had been untouched for much longer and so the plans call for adding a hydronic system about a foot below the putting surface which can circulate warm or cool water to alter the temperature of the soil.
Colonial members decided to stay with bentgrass and maintained much of the green complexes, but let Hanse work his magic in other areas.
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Positive reaction from players
That has some, like Jordan Spieth, eager to see what the 2024 version of the tournament will be like. Shovels will go in the ground to start the renovation as soon as a winner is crowned on Sunday.
“I always thought courses like this, Hilton Head, these classic courses that stand the test of time, it’s like what are you going to do to these places? I think that’s kind of everyone’s first response,” Spieth said. “Then I saw them, and I was like, wow, this looks really, really cool. It looks like it maintains the character of what Colonial is while creating some excitement on some holes that maybe could use a little bit of adjusting.
Jordan Spieth plays his shot from the third tee during the third round of the 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports
“So changing a few of the tee lines where, instead of as much of a straight shot, you kind of see more of working the ball into a fairway. I’m not sure how much is public, but I know the idea of flipping the nines and making the 8th hole into the 17th, I think that might be the biggest change on the course from what I’ve seen. It looks like it might be a great par 3 to bring more of the creek and the river into play. So I’m always a proponent of that.”
Spieth said a recent Tour stop highlighted what can happen when a historic track is refurbished, while keeping history and the original designer’s intent in mind.
“Last week at Oak Hill you saw a renovation that was done extremely well and very highly regarded by, it seems, critics and players alike,” said Spieth, who missed the cut this year, but has plenty of success at the Charles Schwab, including a win in the 2016 event. “Change is sometimes better, sometimes not necessary. I think here Gil will do a really good job of maintaining the integrity while adding even some more character and modernization to it.”
Former champion Spieth had never missed the cut in 10 previous starts.
FORT WORTH, Texas — Even with a PGA Championship in Western New York inconveniently interrupting a pair of PGA Tour events in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, the field at the 2023 Charles Schwab Challenge was strong with 11 of the world’s top 30 players making the trek.
But the cream didn’t necessarily rise to the top as many of the most highly ranked players at Colonial Country Club either failed to make the weekend or found themselves flirting with the cutline at the conclusion of play on Friday. Local favorite and former champ Jordan Spieth, who had never missed the cut in 10 previous starts, was among those who finished on the wrong side.
Here’s a look at some of the biggest stars who missed the cut, which settled in at 1-over 141 through two rounds of play. The cut at the Charles Schwab Challenge is the top 65 and ties.
Other PGA Tour players have enjoyed the ride as much as fans.
FORT WORTH, Texas — A few days removed from one of the most compelling storylines of the golf season, Michael Block was still the talk of the town in Rochester, where he made history with a top-15 finish at the PGA Championship.
But the buzz has followed Block to the Dallas Metroplex, where he’s making a surprise appearance at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Block was a late addition to the field after University of Texas star Parker Coody, the grandson of 1971 Masters champ Charles Coody, withdrew from the event.
As he did at Oak Hill, Block endeared himself to the media with stories of his journey, which has included rubbing elbows with sports royalty.
And other PGA Tour players have enjoyed the ride as much as fans. Despite an impressive field at Colonial Country Club that included the likes of Max Homa, Collin Morikawa and Billy Horschel as well as Texas staples Jordan Spieth and Scottie Scheffler, many of the questions — and lengthy answers — have focused on Block and the optimism he brings to the game.
Scottie Scheffler posted back-to-back rounds of 64 and leads Ryan Palmer and Mackenzie Hughes by one stroke.
The first 36 holes at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas, are in the books and we’re headed to the weekend at the AT&T Byron Nelson.
Maybe the least surprising development of the week is Scottie Scheffler owning the two-day lead at 14 under. The Texan posted back-to-back rounds of 64 and leads Ryan Palmer and Mackenzie Hughes by one stroke.
Seung Yul Noh, who opened with a 60 on Thursday, shot 3-over 75 on Friday, and that happened after carding birdies on his first two holes.
If you missed any of Friday’s action, no worries, we have you covered. Here’s everything you need to know from the second round of the AT&T Byron Nelson.
Hatton had six bogeys in a sloppy second-round 75 and was the biggest name sent packing from the tournament.
SAN ANTONIO — Organizers of the Valero Texas Open can’t be thrilled with the fate of the top players who’ve traveled to the Alamo City over the last few years, each hoping to fine-tune their game before the Masters.
This year, Tyrrell Hatton tried the same move, saying on Tuesday that he’s been pleased with the beginning of his season, but still felt adding this tournament might be the springboard to better results at the year’s first major.
Unfortunately, Hatton’s game plan worked about as well as McIlroy’s did the year before.
The Brit had six bogeys in a sloppy second-round 75 and was the biggest name sent packing from the tournament, one that saw some players finish their second round Saturday because of inclement weather early in the week.
The cutline is the top 65 players plus those tied at the end of that group, and the number settled at even par. Here’s a look at the biggest names who fell on the wrong side of the cutlist after two rounds at the Oaks Course:
The brothers are the grandsons of 1971 Masters champion Charles Coody.
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — It was a tale of two rounds on the opening day of the Honda Classic for twin brothers Pierceson and Parker Coody.
Pierceson shot a bogey-free 4-under-par 66 Thursday on the rugged Champion course at PGA National Resort & Spa, which put him a shot behind early leaders Billy Horschel and Joseph Bramlett.
After getting off to a good start, Parker struggled home to shoot a 4-over 74. The brothers are the grandsons of 1971 Masters champion Charles Coody.
“It was really nice,” said Pierceson, a two-time winner on the Korn Ferry Tour of his first PGA Tour start as a professional. (He played as an amateur in the 2021 U.S. Open.)
“I hit my irons great. I made some really nice putts. Had some really cool par saves. It kept my round going and let me get a few more on the back nine. As y’all know, those last few as it gets windy on the Bear Trap and whatnot are a little dicey, so I was happy to make some pars.”
Pierceson Coody birdied the par-3 7th, hitting his tee shot to 4 feet, 6 inches, then followed with a 30-foot birdie putt on No. 8 to go out in 33. He birdied the par-4 11th, sinking a 23-footer, and added a birdie at the par-4 14th with an 11-foot putt.
Asked if he felt nervous, Pierceson said, “It really just feels like another professional event. I’ve only played about 13 or 14 professional, whatever, 15 events. But other than the big grandstands, it’s not that different. You’re just playing golf, you’re trying to put a good score together. No real nerves out there. Just happy to play well.”
Parker Coody, playing in the threesome in front of his brother, went out in 1-under 34 with two birdies and a bogey on the front nine. But he started the back with a bogey at the par-4 10th and followed that with a double bogey at the 11th. His approach on the par 4 went over the green and he needed two shots to get on the green, where he two-putted.
He had another double at the par-4 13th when his tee shot went way left, forcing him to take a one-shot penalty and hit a provisional tee shot. That drive found the fairway and he hit his approach to just under eight feet, but two-putted. He parred out to come in with a 5-over 40.
“Rough day. I made a couple of good par putts and had some momentum on the front nine, and then the back nine I hit a couple of loose tee shots and before you know it I made two doubles and you just can’t do that around here,” Parker Coody said. “And I didn’t make any putts on the back nine, which obviously didn’t help the cause. Before you know it, you’re 4 over.
“Now you’ve put yourself in a position where I have to go low tomorrow.”
The tournament is his first PGA Tour event as a pro. A member of the Korn Ferry Tour, Parker Coody played as an amateur in the Shiners Hospitals for Children Open in 2020. The 7,125-yard Champion course is one of the most challenging on the PGA Tour, especially for someone making his first Tour start.
“It’s a tough course, but luckily everyone’s got to play it. I’ve got to make a few putts and hit some good tee shots, which I just didn’t do today,” said Parker, whose father, Kyle, was his caddie.
Asked if he’s ready to fire his caddie, Parker said, “Not yet. We’ll see how he does tomorrow.”
Hoge and Theegala became the second rookie team to ever win the QBE Shootout.
Sunday was a grind for Sahith Theegala. He was hurt from the opening tee shot.
He pulled an oblique, and it affected him throughout the final round. Especially with his driver and longer irons, Theegala was clearly in some pain after nearly every swing.
“It’s funny, I was just telling my mom at breakfast, knocked on wood how healthy I’ve been for the last four, five years,” Theegala said.
However, he said it subsided as the round went on. He joked teammate Tom Hoge’s back was the one that was hurting because he carried Theegala all day.
He said the adrenaline of the moment took over when stepping on the 18th tee, and Theegala capitalized.
Theegala and Hoge won the 2022 QBE Shootout at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida, coming from two down entering the final round to win. Theegala, who hit his best drive of the day down the 18th fairway, drilled a birdie putt to give he and Hoge a one-shot lead. Ryan Palmer and Charley Hoffman, who led after the first and second rounds, each had shorter looks at birdie but were unable to convert.
“It was an interesting day because I don’t think either one of us played our best for 18 holes, but we kind of timed it right,” Hoge said. “I got off to some good starts to both nines and then Sahith kind of brought me home. You know, kind of the ham and egg worked really well for us and holed the timely putts when we needed to, for sure.”
Theegala and Hoge are only the second rookie team to ever win at the QBE Shootout, the first pair being Keegan Bradley and Brendan Steele in 2011. Hoge won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am last year, and Theegala has yet to win on the PGA Tour.
“We’ve been playing well all week,” Theegala said. “Like we said at the start of the round, we just need two chances and we gave ourselves two really good changes on 18. Yeah, it was kind of unspoken I think that like let’s go and get this last hole.”
Hoge and Theegala shot 10-under 62 in Sunday four-ball, three better than Hoffman and Palmer’s 65, to finish at 34 under for the tournament. On the back nine, Hoffman and Palmer made birdies on five of six holes, but the biggest was on the par-5 17th that tied the teams with one hole to play.
Palmer’s third shot, a chip from the left side of the green, came up short of the green and trickled back to his feet. He hit it again, bouncing off the hill before hitting the green and finding the bottom of the cup.
That’s when Theegala came through and propelled he and Hoge to victory.
“Give credit to them, they went out and played some good golf today,” Hoffman said. “They made a lot of putts and hit a lot of good shots.”
Nelly Korda, who made her QBE Shootout debut this week playing with Denny McCarthy, chipped in for birdie on 18 to cap their second round and nearly one-upped herself Sunday. Korda’s hybrid from the fairway lipped out for eagle, but she drained the birdie putt.
As if people didn’t know, Nelly Korda showed out this week at the QBE Shootout pic.twitter.com/lYkYGcexD5
Korda, who’s playing with her father in the PNC Championship next weekend, and McCarthy finished tied for fifth at 27 under.
Lexi Thompson, the other female professional in the field, shot 24 under and finished T-10 with partner Maverick McNealy. This was the first time in QBE Shootout history that there were two women in the field, but that may change again come next year.
Harris English and Matt Kuchar also shot 10 under Sunday, finishing solo third at 32 under. It’s their seventh time finishing in the top five as a team at the QBE Shootout, extending their tournament record.
Only four of the 12 teams reached double-digits under par Saturday.
NAPLES, Fla. — There was plenty of movement on the leaderboard during Saturday’s second round at the 2022 QBE Shootout.
Teams jockeyed for position to put themselves in contention ahead of Sunday’s final round, but one thing remains the same Saturday night as it was Friday: the names at the top.
Charley Hoffman and Ryan Palmer continued their strong play, carding a 10-under 62 in the second-round modified alternate shot format at Tiburon Golf Club. It was a fairly stress-free performance from the duo, who are pairing up for the first time but have plenty of experience at the QBE Shootout. The most difficult shot they faced was arguably a par putt on 18, which Palmer converted with ease.
“I’m surprised how low I’d say the field went,” Hoffman said. “Obviously sort of benign conditions, but you’ve still got to execute and hit golf shots around this place. Obviously 10 under is a pretty good score.”
Neither has won before, but they’ll take a two-shot lead into Sunday, the same lead they had after the first round.
Charley Hoffman/Ryan Palmer set the lowest opening 36-hole score in QBE Shootout history (56-62–118) to hold a two-stroke lead at 26-under. They were the only team to birdie three of the four par-3 holes in the Modified Alternate Shot format in round two.
Hoffman and Palmer started as hot as they finished, carding birdies on the first two holes to increase their lead. Though other duos tied the lead at points throughout the round, no one was ever able to knock Hoffman and Palmer from the top, and as they came down the stretch, they managed to make birdies and distance themselves from the pack.
They birdied three straight from Nos. 12-14. Then back-to-back on Nos. 16-17. A day after a 56, they were one of four teams (out of 12) to shoot double-digits under par on Saturday.
Their two-round total of 118 is a new record at the QBE Shootout.
“This is a format you could have shot yourself in the foot for sure if you didn’t go out and put a decent round up,” Palmer said. “To shoot 10 under, there was 12 and 11 I believe, I was watching the leaderboard a little bit when I saw them and they played some exceptional golf. We played solid all day, we didn’t do anything spectacular.
“He teed off a lot of great tee balls, my iron play was on point today and he was able to make some putts. And when I needed to, I made a few, so the tag teaming went well today. It was nice to get that round in in this format.”
The closest group chasing is Tom Hoge and Sahith Theegala, which shot 12-under 60 for the second straight day. From holes Nos. 11-17 on the back nine, they were 7 under, punctuated with an eagle on the par-5 17th.
“Today, we just kind of started off hot and never really looked back,” Theegala said. “I was just saying walking off the green it just felt really stress free today.”
Theegala and Hoge made birdie on their first three holes and five of the first six. They cooled off in the middle of the round, but then again rekindled the flame during the stretch on the back nine. They’ll be in the final group on Sunday, looking to become the second pair of first-timers to win.
“I think more than anything, in best ball both of us just need to kind of be in the hole with chances on every hole,” Hoge said. “If we can both play well, it will help it out. Ultimately, you’ve got to make a lot of birdies to catch these guys, they’re playing well.”
Charley Hoffman and Ryan Palmer know they were picked last before the week.
NAPLES, Fla. — Charley Hoffman and Ryan Palmer were well aware where they were predicted to finish at the 2022 QBE Shootout.
12th.
In a normal week, that would be a strong finish. Yet at Tiburon Golf Club, that’s dead last. That prediction is as far from correct as it could be following the first round.
Hoffman and Palmer made eagle on three of Tiburon’s four par-5s and added 10 birdies. After Friday’s scramble format, the duo sits in front at 16 under by two shots over a pair at 14 under.
“All in all, we put ourself in great positions to make birdies,” Hoffman said. “I would say very low stress all day long. For me, I putted first so it wasn’t that stressful for me. Ryan made some great putts. I was able to hit some good drives and be able to capitalize on pretty much all our shots except 18.”
Hoffman and Palmer’s day started with an eagle on the first hole. They added another on the sixth and went out in 8-under 28. Then on the back, it was more birdies and an eagle on the 17th. Their only complaint from the day was not capitalizing on Hoffman’s great iron shot into the back left pin on 18.
Nevertheless, they’re in front heading to Saturday.
“Tomorrow, it’s a matter of just both driving it well and then you choose on which ball to play and all that. If we’re both hitting it well, I think we’ll have a lot of chances tomorrow.”
Hoffman is playing in his sixth QBE Shootout, and he has had a different teammate each time. Palmer is playing for the fifth time, and Hoffman is his fourth partner. Palmer and Harold Varner III shot 55 in the opening round in 2019, and Hoffman joked saying they needed to match that number again this year.
