Russell Knox T7 as Jordan Spieth misses
second cut in a row
second cut in a row
NORTON, Massachusetts – While Jordan Spieth missed his second cut in a row and Rory McIlroy had to birdie the last to make sure, Russell Knox, with a 65 for seven-under 135, is the leading Brit in joint seventh place after the second round of the Deutsche Bank Championship.
Jacksonville, Florida-based Knox, pictured, is five behind leader Charley Hoffman (67-63 for 130).
Jacksonville, Florida-based Knox, pictured, is five behind leader Charley Hoffman (67-63 for 130).
Driving the ball an average 292.3yd, Knox birdied the first, fourth, short eighth, 12th, 14th, short 16th and 17th in halves of 34-31 over the par-71 lay-out. He had one bogey, at the fifth.
In contrast World No 1 McIlroy struggled to a three-over-par 74 in the second leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs and finds himself tied for 59th, 14 shots off the lead.
McIlroy was heading for the exit door when he bogeyed the 13th, 14th, 16th and 17th but he pulled himself out of the nosedive just in time with a birdie at the 18th for a 145, making the cut with one shot to spare.
“I’m rusty,” McIlroy said. “I think it shows that I haven't really played much competitive golf. When I've given myself opportunities to get it close, then I'm not making putts. And I think I've had four three-putts in two days.”
McIlroy is making just his second start since returning from a ruptured ligament in his left ankle, an injury that kept him away from tournament play for six weeks.
McIlroy regained the world No. 1 ranking this week from Jordan Spieth, but even with Spieth missing the cut at the Deutsche Bank, McIlroy needs a strong finish to avoid losing the top spot again. McIlroy will only hold on to the No. 1 ranking if he finishes solo 10th or better and No. 3 Jason Day doesn’t win. If McIlroy doesn’t finish among the top 10 and Day doesn’t win, Spieth moves back to No. 1.
McIlroy didn’t seem to care much about the rankings after signing his scorecard.
“That's not quite on my mind right now,” he said. “I just have to try to get my game in better shape. I know which parts of the game are pretty good, and I know which parts I need to work on. I've got two days coming up to try and do that and another off week to practise a few things and try and go to Chicago in better shape.”
After a week off, the FedEx Cup Playoffs move to Conway Farms outside Chicago.
McIlroy hit nine of 14 fairways Saturday and hit 14 greens in regulation, but he took 34 putts. He missed a 3-footer for par at the 13th, and he three putted the 17th.
“If you look at the bigger picture, it's my second tournament in 10 weeks,” McIlroy said. “I'm just trying to play myself into better form. So I'm not concerned, but I think the good thing is I know what I need to work on.”
Jordan Spieth was the wunderkind of the US PGA Tour during the regular season, winning two majors and coming extremely close in the other two.
But that was then. This is now: the World No. 2 is struggling to make cuts after a 2-over 73 Saturday in the second round of the Deutsche Bank Championship. It was Spieth's second consecutive missed cut, the first time the 22-year-old has done that on the PGA Tour.
What is more surprising, however, is that the lack of success came on the heels of Spieth, a four-time winner in 2014-15 and the Tour's scoring leader, playing in the final pairing with Jason Day at the PGA Championship, shooting a final-round 68 to Day’s 67 and finishing second by three shots.
At The Barclays, Spieth looked like a deer in the headlights, never really having any control of his game, something he admitted himself.
It was possible that his struggles were partly due to his decision to switch to new irons, but Spieth said this week in Boston before the first round that it was more his driver and wedges that were the reason for his struggles at Plainfield.
Now, Spieth leaves Norton, outside of Boston, with other issues.
“I've done a lot of things positively this year,” Spieth said. “This is something I've never done that's negative. Whatever is going on, normally my mental game is a strength of mine. And it's something I feel like I have an advantage over other players on. These past two weeks it was a weakness for me. And I've just got to go back and reassess how to remain positive.”
Coming off the missed cut last week, Spieth worked with his coach Cameron McCormick, and when he arrived on the grounds at TPC Boston he believed he had things figured out.
And maybe it would have been if he had started a little better. Spieth was 3 over after his first four holes and instead of getting some positive vibes coming off a missed cut, Spieth was instantly behind the proverbial eight-ball.
He shot 4-over 75 in Friday’s first round, a score he could never recover from as the golf course played relatively hard on Saturday afternoon with most of the field struggling to shoot par.
Martin Laird, the second Scot in the field, missed the cut by seven strokes with scores of 78 and 74 for 152.
In contrast World No 1 McIlroy struggled to a three-over-par 74 in the second leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs and finds himself tied for 59th, 14 shots off the lead.
McIlroy was heading for the exit door when he bogeyed the 13th, 14th, 16th and 17th but he pulled himself out of the nosedive just in time with a birdie at the 18th for a 145, making the cut with one shot to spare.
“I’m rusty,” McIlroy said. “I think it shows that I haven't really played much competitive golf. When I've given myself opportunities to get it close, then I'm not making putts. And I think I've had four three-putts in two days.”
McIlroy is making just his second start since returning from a ruptured ligament in his left ankle, an injury that kept him away from tournament play for six weeks.
McIlroy regained the world No. 1 ranking this week from Jordan Spieth, but even with Spieth missing the cut at the Deutsche Bank, McIlroy needs a strong finish to avoid losing the top spot again. McIlroy will only hold on to the No. 1 ranking if he finishes solo 10th or better and No. 3 Jason Day doesn’t win. If McIlroy doesn’t finish among the top 10 and Day doesn’t win, Spieth moves back to No. 1.
McIlroy didn’t seem to care much about the rankings after signing his scorecard.
“That's not quite on my mind right now,” he said. “I just have to try to get my game in better shape. I know which parts of the game are pretty good, and I know which parts I need to work on. I've got two days coming up to try and do that and another off week to practise a few things and try and go to Chicago in better shape.”
After a week off, the FedEx Cup Playoffs move to Conway Farms outside Chicago.
McIlroy hit nine of 14 fairways Saturday and hit 14 greens in regulation, but he took 34 putts. He missed a 3-footer for par at the 13th, and he three putted the 17th.
“If you look at the bigger picture, it's my second tournament in 10 weeks,” McIlroy said. “I'm just trying to play myself into better form. So I'm not concerned, but I think the good thing is I know what I need to work on.”
Jordan Spieth was the wunderkind of the US PGA Tour during the regular season, winning two majors and coming extremely close in the other two.
But that was then. This is now: the World No. 2 is struggling to make cuts after a 2-over 73 Saturday in the second round of the Deutsche Bank Championship. It was Spieth's second consecutive missed cut, the first time the 22-year-old has done that on the PGA Tour.
What is more surprising, however, is that the lack of success came on the heels of Spieth, a four-time winner in 2014-15 and the Tour's scoring leader, playing in the final pairing with Jason Day at the PGA Championship, shooting a final-round 68 to Day’s 67 and finishing second by three shots.
At The Barclays, Spieth looked like a deer in the headlights, never really having any control of his game, something he admitted himself.
It was possible that his struggles were partly due to his decision to switch to new irons, but Spieth said this week in Boston before the first round that it was more his driver and wedges that were the reason for his struggles at Plainfield.
Now, Spieth leaves Norton, outside of Boston, with other issues.
“I've done a lot of things positively this year,” Spieth said. “This is something I've never done that's negative. Whatever is going on, normally my mental game is a strength of mine. And it's something I feel like I have an advantage over other players on. These past two weeks it was a weakness for me. And I've just got to go back and reassess how to remain positive.”
Coming off the missed cut last week, Spieth worked with his coach Cameron McCormick, and when he arrived on the grounds at TPC Boston he believed he had things figured out.
And maybe it would have been if he had started a little better. Spieth was 3 over after his first four holes and instead of getting some positive vibes coming off a missed cut, Spieth was instantly behind the proverbial eight-ball.
He shot 4-over 75 in Friday’s first round, a score he could never recover from as the golf course played relatively hard on Saturday afternoon with most of the field struggling to shoot par.
Martin Laird, the second Scot in the field, missed the cut by seven strokes with scores of 78 and 74 for 152.
Labels: US PGA TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, September 06, 2015
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