Rory finishing on No. 9… I had a great view, everyone with stadium golf does, but my friend Merri Mike Mama, pinked out two days early than most, obviously had a better one!
My strategy for watching golf during Round Two of 2016 THE PLAYERS Championship was to start with the Zack Johnson/Patrick Reed/Sergio Garcia group, watch them for three holes and then do the same for two other groups, cascading back to and then follow Rory McIlroy for his second nine holes. I would have seen a lot more birdies if I had started with Rory and advanced through the three threesomes ahead of his group. Although I never would have left Rory as he shot a 7-under 29 with 5 birdies and an eagle on his first nine holes!
Rickie in trouble on the 14th with no finishing heroics to close translated to a missed cut for the defending champion.
Actually I am happy I was able to see the other nine golfers play. Zach Johnson was in contention and slong with Sergio and Patrick Reed making birdies for me to see. I happen to catch the Matt Kuchar/Rickie Fowler/Adam Scott at the time of Rickie’s demise on the always difficult par-4 14th to miss the cut. Bunkered left off the tee then dubbed it in the water looking a lot like us amateurs until he dropped a ball and hoisted a beauty up over the trees that I can only dream of and 2-putted for a bogey. I toured the scenically spectacular 16th, 17th and 18th with the Graeme McDowell/Louis Oosthuizen/Hideki Matsuyama group while looking back on Rory’s progress and sensational eagle at the 16th!
Kuch’s Krew was out in full force to see him post a 67 in Round 2 and finish T3 after a brilliant Sunday 68.
9:10 am Happy PLAYERS Friday! Started off No. 10 with Zach Johnson, Patrick Reed & Sergio Garcia… 4 birdies so far, rest pars, Sergio 2 under today. Said good bye to old No. 12, complete redo for next year into driveable par 4…
10:03 am Holes 13, 14, & 15 with Kuch, Rickie & Adam Scott… tough day for Rickie… missed 2 short birdie putts & a sandy watery DB on 14…another beautiful day for scoring though feels like wind is picking up…ocean, beach, paradise!
Interesting scenario on the 4th green when Dustin Johnson’s ball accidentally was dropped in the water hazard. His caddie had to jump in and luckily was able to retrieve the ball to avoid a penalty for substituting a ball to complete the hole.
11:19 am GMac, Louie, & Hideki for 16, 17 & 18… now Rory, Rory, Rory for his second 9, 7 under first 9… Oh yes, by the way Rory was playing with Dustin Johnson (shot 70 and finished T28) and Bubba Watson (shot 71 and finished T41).
7:57 pm WOW, what a day following Rory McIlroy, nearly a course record 62 except he bogeyed the last, the par-5 9th, instead of birdieing it, that’s golf, that’s life! Congratulations to Will Wilcox acing the 17th! Amazing! So good to see so many of my friends out there today, I love the spirit of THE PLAYERS, the poeple and our Ponte Ve Beach community… TROML Day for sure! (-:
Jason Day was able to get it up-and-down from the front right pot bunker while Rory was not from the left one.
I found it interesting how two of Pete Dye’s legendary pot bunkers impacted the way Rory finished his second round 64 and Jason Day finished his first round 63. They guard the front right and front left of the reachable 583-yard par-5 ninth hole upon which both Rory and Jason finished their rounds. Day was in the front right pot bunker in two and was able to get it up & down to a back right hole location to shoot a record tying 63 on Thursday. Rory chose to lay up needing birdie to set a new course record 62 even though he was within range. His 90-yard wedge third shot failed found the severely sloped grass depression around the front left pot bunker. From there it took him an additional three strokes to the front left hole location resulting in his 64 score. Surely Pete Dye was at home and continues to smile at his ‘Dye-abolical’ design of the Stadium Course.
Nice one on the scorecard Wil Wilcox! Photo Credit: NBC Sports/Golf Chaannel
Earlier in the day, Colt Knost shot a course record tying 63, missing a 6-footer in the last to shoot 62. The 2007 U.S. Amateur Champion and two-time Web.com Champion has yet to win on the PGA TOUR but joined 5 others in the record book for the low 18-hole score of 9-under par 63… Fred Couples Rd. 3 in 1992 (T13 finish to Davis Love III win), Greg Norman Rd. 1 1994 (won by 4 strokes), Roberto Castro Rd. 1 2013 (T19 finish to Tiger’s win), Martin Kaymer Rd. 1 2014 (won by 1 stroke) and a day earlier Jason Day who went on to win the 2016 PLAYERS in wire-to-wire fashion.
With my buddy Quinn watching the Rory action at the par-3 8th hole.
When I made it home to watch the rest of Round 2 on NBC Sports/Golf Channel I was treated to the first hole-in-one on the 17th since Miguel Angel Jimenez’s ace in 2002. What a wild and zany celebration which I thought was awesome! Nice ace in only Wil Wilcox’s second competitive tee shot on the iconic island green hole!
It was a fun day walking and watching golf with a kid from Hobart and William Smith Colleges named Quinn Schara. Here are the best 85 pictures from the 500 I took that day!
