WEB.COM TOUR'S CHILE CLASSIC REPORT AND SCORES
JIMMY GUNN BACK IN FORM WITH A 70
BUT MISSES CUT BY FOUR SHOTS
FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
SANTIAGO, Chile – Byron Smith battled through a bit of nerves, a little fatigue, a couple mistakes and the tricky winds around the Prince of Wales Country Club course and emerged as the second-round leader of the Chile Classic.
Smith chalked up six birdies in his first 10 holes and then played even-par on the way to the clubhouse for a round of 66 and a two-day total of 13-under 131, one shot better than 21-year old Argentine Jorge Fernandez-Valdes, who matched the leader’s 6-under-par score
Jimmy Gunn found his form a day too late to make the cut
The Arizona-based tour pro from Dornoch saddled himself with a first round of four-over-par 76. In the second round he shot a two-under 70 for a 36-hole total of two-over 146, four shots too many to make the two-under 142 cut-off.
First-day co-leader Sebastian Vazquez of Mexico carded a 2-under 70 and stands alone in third place at 10-under par. Bhavik Patel (68), Garth Mulroy (71) and Roger Sloan (69) share fourth place, four back of Smith.
Smith was cruising along nicely on a warm, sunny day before things got shaky on the back nine.
“I was leaking oil coming in today,” said Smith, who had two birdies, two bogeys and a couple of nifty par saves over his final eight holes. “I was just trying to stay relaxed but it’s been a long off season for me and it may take a while for me to get the feel and the flow back.”
Smith didn’t roll in any birdie putts of “real substance” while finding nothing but greens and fairways for most of the day.
A well-struck 6-iron on the par-3, 15th failed to clear and bunker and he missed his short putt for par. On the next hole he yanked a pitching wedge into a greenside bunker and missed another five-footer for par, dropping him back to minus-12.
“I hadn’t missed too many greens and then suddenly I missed two in a row and I was worried about just getting it to the house,” he said. “The wind was a lot trickier today. You don’t know where it’s coming from. I know there’s a predominant wind direction but it just swirls in these trees and there are a lot of trees out here.”
Smith found them on No. 17 when he pulled a 3-iron off the tee.
He squeezed a 5-iron through a narrow window but watched his ball race over the green and into a bush, setting him up for a third consecutive bogey.
“I had no business hitting that second shot,” he admitted. “I was running on empty right there. I had just missed two makeable putts. I was able to get my third shot on the green. It turned into an all-world par when I made a 14-foot, downhill slider.”
That putt stopped the backwards run and Smith got up and down for birdie on the par-5, 18th to put him at lucky-13.
His closest challenger is Fernandez-Valdez, who had a win and six other top-10 finishes en route to fourth place standing on the 2013 Latinoamerica Tour’s Order of Merit.
“I really feel comfortable on the greens,” said Fernandez-Valdez, who now calls Miami home. “We changed my set up and changed the address and everything is working well.”
Fernandez-Valdez was nearly perfect on the day but admitted luck entered the equation as well.
After a slight-draw, 5-iron stopped 10 feet from the cup for eagle at the par-5, 14th (he made the putt), he surprised himself with a hole out from a greenside bunker on the 191-yard, 16th, the third-toughest hole on the course.
“I was just hoping to get it within the six to nine foot range,” he said. “I thought I might be able to make par. Somehow it went in.”
• Friday weather: Mostly sunny all day. Winds were calm in the
morning and then S 5-10 through 4pm and then S 10-20 mph. High of 91.BUT MISSES CUT BY FOUR SHOTS
FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
SANTIAGO, Chile – Byron Smith battled through a bit of nerves, a little fatigue, a couple mistakes and the tricky winds around the Prince of Wales Country Club course and emerged as the second-round leader of the Chile Classic.
Smith chalked up six birdies in his first 10 holes and then played even-par on the way to the clubhouse for a round of 66 and a two-day total of 13-under 131, one shot better than 21-year old Argentine Jorge Fernandez-Valdes, who matched the leader’s 6-under-par score
Jimmy Gunn found his form a day too late to make the cut
The Arizona-based tour pro from Dornoch saddled himself with a first round of four-over-par 76. In the second round he shot a two-under 70 for a 36-hole total of two-over 146, four shots too many to make the two-under 142 cut-off.
First-day co-leader Sebastian Vazquez of Mexico carded a 2-under 70 and stands alone in third place at 10-under par. Bhavik Patel (68), Garth Mulroy (71) and Roger Sloan (69) share fourth place, four back of Smith.
Smith was cruising along nicely on a warm, sunny day before things got shaky on the back nine.
“I was leaking oil coming in today,” said Smith, who had two birdies, two bogeys and a couple of nifty par saves over his final eight holes. “I was just trying to stay relaxed but it’s been a long off season for me and it may take a while for me to get the feel and the flow back.”
Smith didn’t roll in any birdie putts of “real substance” while finding nothing but greens and fairways for most of the day.
A well-struck 6-iron on the par-3, 15th failed to clear and bunker and he missed his short putt for par. On the next hole he yanked a pitching wedge into a greenside bunker and missed another five-footer for par, dropping him back to minus-12.
“I hadn’t missed too many greens and then suddenly I missed two in a row and I was worried about just getting it to the house,” he said. “The wind was a lot trickier today. You don’t know where it’s coming from. I know there’s a predominant wind direction but it just swirls in these trees and there are a lot of trees out here.”
Smith found them on No. 17 when he pulled a 3-iron off the tee.
He squeezed a 5-iron through a narrow window but watched his ball race over the green and into a bush, setting him up for a third consecutive bogey.
“I had no business hitting that second shot,” he admitted. “I was running on empty right there. I had just missed two makeable putts. I was able to get my third shot on the green. It turned into an all-world par when I made a 14-foot, downhill slider.”
That putt stopped the backwards run and Smith got up and down for birdie on the par-5, 18th to put him at lucky-13.
His closest challenger is Fernandez-Valdez, who had a win and six other top-10 finishes en route to fourth place standing on the 2013 Latinoamerica Tour’s Order of Merit.
“I really feel comfortable on the greens,” said Fernandez-Valdez, who now calls Miami home. “We changed my set up and changed the address and everything is working well.”
Fernandez-Valdez was nearly perfect on the day but admitted luck entered the equation as well.
After a slight-draw, 5-iron stopped 10 feet from the cup for eagle at the par-5, 14th (he made the putt), he surprised himself with a hole out from a greenside bunker on the 191-yard, 16th, the third-toughest hole on the course.
“I was just hoping to get it within the six to nine foot range,” he said. “I thought I might be able to make par. Somehow it went in.”
SECOND-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 144 (2x72) Players from USA unless stated
131 Byron Smith 65 66
132 Jorge Fernandez Valdez (Argentina) 66 66
134 Sebastian Vazquez (Mexico) 64 70
135 Bhavik Patel 67 68, Garth Mulroy (S Africa) 64 71, Roger Sloan (Canada) 66 69
MISSED THE CUT (142 and better qualified)
146 Jimmy Gunn (Scotland) 76 70
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Labels: NATIONWIDE TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Saturday, March 08, 2014
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