Friday, May 20, 2016

AT and T Byron Nelson Tournament surprise leader

At 40, Ben Crane may not be a ‘Golf Boy’ anymore, but he can still be a champion

Ben Crane
Ben Crane drives from the 12th tee during Round 2 at the AT and T Byron Nelson. (Getty Images)
Ben Crane has been searching for his golf game to return for nearly three years now.
After two rounds at the ATandT Byron Nelson, he may be on to something.
Crane shot a 7-under 63 in the second round at TPC Four Seasons to take a one-shot lead over a group of four that includes world No. 2 Jordan Spieth.
“I’ve been struggling really for three years now but intermittent bits of encouragement,” Crane said. “This has been one of those weeks where I feel like my game is really coming around. Been probably more dedicated than I have ever been. More clear plan than I’ve ever had and I just did this week what I do when I play well which is scramble and putted really well.”
This week is a bit of a return home for Crane, as he lived near TPC Four Seasons for 12 years prior to moving to Nashville.
The highlight of the round for Crane came at his 12th hole, the par-4 third. After hitting his second shot into a greenside bunker, Crane knocked his chip into the cup for a three four his fourth consecutive three in a string that would eventually become seven straight 3s.
“I normally don’t really look at my results but I did when I got to No. 7 and I was filling in the scores of my playing partner and, nice, I looked up at my card and I did happen to notice that my card was all 3s and then I realized, well, I made a 2 on 17 and a 3 on 8. Man, I’m playing better than I thought,” Crane said. “That’s when a couple guys from CBS driving by after I hit my drive on 7, they’re giving me the 3 sign, I need another 3 out of you here for TV. I wish I could just dial them up.”
Crane posted the first bogey of his round at 17, dropping him back into a tie for the lead, but he responded at 18 with his eighth birdie of the day.
Crane, who is looking for his first victory on Tour since the 2014 St. Jude FedEx Classic, recently turned 40, likely meaning his time to get wins is a bit limited and that though in itself pushes Crane.
“The last 12 months I’ve worked harder than I ever worked before because I thought I was going to have hip surgery and I ended up being able not to go through with that and so in the gym,” Crane said. 
“I’ve worked harder than I ever worked putting in one to three hours of day of different exercises I’ve done that to help my hip and back. I’m feeling better.
“I’ve been more diligent on my game and talked more to my team about just making sure that I’m practicing with a purpose and so I’ve just worked really hard. Haven’t seen a lot of results from it but we just feel like I’m doing the right thing.”
However, this also means he may no longer be young enough to be considered one of the Golf Boys anymore either.
“I don’t know (if I’m a Golf Boy anymore or not),” Crane said. “That’s a good question. I don’t know if the Golf Boys are still together or not but yeah, certainly turning 40 everything is just harder, harder to keep your body in shape and you just going to have to work at it more than the guy who is 25 when you’re more elastic.”

Jordan Spieth uses second-round 65 to grab share of 2nd place in Byron Nelson 



Jordan Spieth, pictured at the 2016 AT&T Byron Nelson
Jordan Spieth, pictured at the 2016 AT and T Byron Nelson (Getty Images)

Jordan Spieth fired consecutive rounds of 65 or better on the US PGA Tour for the first time since January at Irving, Texas today
Spieth’s 5-under 65 in the second round of the AT and T Byron Nelson moved him to 11 under, where the World No. 2 shared the clubhouse lead with Brooks Koepka (64) and Bud Cauley (65) midway through Round 2 at TPC Four Seasons Resort.
Later Ben Crane took the halfway lead with a 63 for 128 and a one-stroke lead.
In his last five rounds before Thursday’s 64, Spieth failed to break 71. He attributed those struggles to a negative attitude. 
Today, he hit nine fairways and hit his first 17 greens in regulation on the Las Colinas course – he missed just two GIRs (greens in regulation figures) in Round 1.
He also made 117 feet of putts on Friday.
The last time Spieth shot back-to-back rounds of 64-65 in a Tour event? The second and third rounds of the 2016 Hyundai Tournament of Champions, which Spieth won (his last win, too).

COMPLETE SCOREBOARD
 par 140 (2x70)
1


65 63 -- -- 128
T2


65 64 -- -- 129
T2


64 65 -- -- 129
T2


64 65 -- -- 129
T2


63 66 -- -- 129
6 2 -10 F -4 64 66 -- -- 130
7 11 -9 F -5 66 65 -- -- 131
T8 21 -8 F -5 67 65 -- -- 132
T8 7 -8 F -1 63 69 -- -- 132
T8 4 -8 F* -2 64 68 -- -- 132
T8 4 -8 F -2 64 68 -- -- 132
T8 4 -8 F -2 64 68 -- -- 132
T8 2 -8 F -3 65 67 -- -- 132
T8 10 -8 F* -4 66 66 -- -- 132
T8 10 -8 F* -4 66 66 -- -- 132
T16 28 -7 F* -5 68 65 -- -- 133
T16 2 -7 F* -3 66 67 -- -- 133
T16 90 -7 F -8 71 62 -- -- 133
T16 15 -7 F E 63 70 -- -- 133
T16 13 -7 F -4 67 66 -- -- 133
T16 13 -7 F* -4 67 66 -- -- 133
T16 13 -7 F* -4 67 66 -- -- 133
T16 71 -7 F -7 70 63 -- -- 133
T16 6 -7 F* -2 65 68 -- -- 133
T16 53 -7 F -6 69 64 -- -- 133
T26 18 -6 F -4 68 66 -- -- 134
T26 18 -6 F* -4 68 66 -- -- 134
T26 43 -6 F -5 69 65 -- -- 134
T26 3 -6 F -3 67 67 -- -- 134
T26 3 -6 F -3 67 67 -- -- 134
T31 13 -5 F -3 68 67 -- -- 135
T31 13 -5 F* -3 68 67 -- -- 135
T31 56 -5 F -5 70 65 -- -- 135
T31 13 -5 F -1 66 69 -- -- 135
T31 13 -5 F* -1 66 69 -- -- 135
T31 13 -5 F* -3 68 67 -- -- 135
T31 13 -5 F -1 66 69 -- -- 135
T31 75 -5 F -6 71 64 -- -- 135
T31 13 -5 F -3 68 67 -- -- 135
T31 56 -5 F* -5 70 65 -- -- 135
T31 21 -5 F E 65 70 -- -- 135
T31 21 -5 F* E 65 70 -- -- 135
T31 38 -5 F -4 69 66 -- -- 135
T31 13 -5 F -3 68 67 -- -- 135
T31 2 -5 F* -2 67 68 -- -- 135
T46 23 -4 F -3 69 67 -- -- 136
T46 41 -4 F* -4 70 66 -- -- 136
T46 23 -4 F* -3 69 67 -- -- 136
T46 41 -4 F -4 70 66 -- -- 136
T46 28 -4 F E 66 70 -- -- 136
T46 41 -4 F -4 70 66 -- -- 136
T46 41 -4 F -4 70 66 -- -- 136
T46 2 -4 F* -2 68 68 -- -- 136
T46


67 69 -- -- 136
T46 17 -4 F* -1 67 69 -- -- 136
T46 2 -4 F* -2 68 68 -- -- 136
T46 23 -4 F* -3 69 67 -- -- 136
T46 2 -4 F* -2 68 68 -- -- 136
T59 10 -3 F* -2 69 68 -- -- 137
T59 28 -3 F* -3 70 67 -- -- 137
T59 41 -3 F* 1 66 71 -- -- 137
T59 30 -3 F E 67 70 -- -- 137
T59 10 -3 F* -2 69 68 -- -- 137
T59 64 -3 F* -5 72 65 -- -- 137
T59 47 -3 F -4 71 66 -- -- 137
T59 10 -3 F -2 69 68 -- -- 137
T67 23 -2 F E 68 70 -- -- 138
T67 23 -2 F* E 68 70 -- -- 138
T67 23 -2 F* E 68 70 -- -- 138
T67 23 -2 F E 68 70 -- -- 138
T67 20 -2 F* -2 70 68 -- -- 138
T67 20 -2 F* -2 70 68 -- -- 138
T67 56 -2 F* -4 72 66 -- -- 138
T67 2 -2 F -1 69 69 -- -- 138
T67 2 -2 F -1 69 69 -- -- 138
T67 84 -2 F* -8 76 62 -- -- 138
T67 57 -2 F* 3 65 73 -- -- 138
T67 20 -2 F -2 70 68 -- -- 138
T67 20 -2 F -2 70 68 -- -- 138
T67 39 -2 F* -3 71 67 -- -- 138
T67 2 -2 F* -1 69 69 -- -- 138
T67 2 -2 F* -1 69 69 -- -- 138
T67 49 -2 F 2 66 72 -- -- 138
The following players did not make the cut: -2
CUT -- -1 -- -- 70 69 -- -- 139
CUT -- -1 -- -- 70 69 -- -- 139
CUT -- -1 -- -- 68 71 -- -- 139
CUT -- -1 -- -- 72 67 -- -- 139
CUT -- -1 -- -- 66 73 -- -- 139
CUT -- -1 -- -- 68 71 -- -- 139
CUT -- -1 -- -- 71 68 -- -- 139
CUT -- -1 -- -- 69 70 -- -- 139
CUT -- -1 -- -- 69 70 -- -- 139
CUT -- -1 -- -- 74 65 -- -- 139
CUT -- -1 -- -- 72 67 -- -- 139
CUT -- -1 -- -- 68 71 -- -- 139
CUT -- -1 -- -- 74 65 -- -- 139
CUT -- -1 -- -- 68 71 -- -- 139
CUT -- -1 -- -- 74 65 -- -- 139
CUT --


67 73 -- -- 140
CUT -- E -- -- 69 71 -- -- 140
CUT -- E -- -- 69 71 -- -- 140
CUT -- E -- -- 72 68 -- -- 140
CUT -- E -- -- 72 68 -- -- 140
CUT -- E -- -- 68 72 -- -- 140
CUT -- E -- -- 71 69 -- -- 140
CUT -- E -- -- 72 68 -- -- 140
CUT -- E -- -- 71 69 -- -- 140
CUT -- E -- -- 71 69 -- -- 140
CUT -- E -- -- 73 67 -- -- 140
CUT -- E -- -- 70 70 -- -- 140
CUT -- E -- -- 65 75 -- -- 140
CUT -- E -- -- 71 69 -- -- 140
CUT -- E -- -- 67 73 -- -- 140
CUT -- E -- -- 68 72 -- -- 140
CUT -- E -- -- 71 69 -- -- 140
CUT -- E -- -- 71 69 -- -- 140
CUT -- 1 -- -- 71 70 -- -- 141
CUT -- 1 -- -- 68 73 -- -- 141
CUT -- 1 -- -- 71 70 -- -- 141
CUT -- 1 -- -- 68 73 -- -- 141
CUT -- 1 -- -- 69 72 -- -- 141
CUT -- 1 -- -- 68 73 -- -- 141
CUT -- 2 -- -- 74 68 -- -- 142
CUT -- 2 -- -- 71 71 -- -- 142
CUT -- 2 -- -- 72 70 -- -- 142
CUT -- 2 -- -- 75 67 -- -- 142
CUT -- 2 -- -- 72 70 -- -- 142
CUT -- 2 -- -- 67 75 -- -- 142
CUT -- 2 -- -- 71 71 -- -- 142
CUT -- 2 -- -- 71 71 -- -- 142
CUT -- 2 -- -- 74 68 -- -- 142
CUT -- 2 -- -- 74 68 -- -- 142
CUT -- 2 -- -- 70 72 -- -- 142
CUT -- 3 -- -- 67 76 -- -- 143
CUT -- 3 -- -- 70 73 -- -- 143
CUT -- 3 -- -- 67 76 -- -- 143
CUT -- 3 -- -- 72 71 -- -- 143
CUT -- 4 -- -- 70 74 -- -- 144
CUT -- 4 -- -- 73 71 -- -- 144
CUT -- 4 -- -- 68 76 -- -- 144
CUT -- 4 -- -- 72 72 -- -- 144
CUT -- 4 -- -- 71 73 -- -- 144
CUT -- 5 -- -- 74 71 -- -- 145
CUT -- 5 -- -- 72 73 -- -- 145
CUT -- 5 -- -- 74 71 -- -- 145
CUT -- 5 -- -- 72 73 -- -- 145
CUT -- 6 -- -- 73 73 -- -- 146
CUT -- 6 -- -- 77 69 -- -- 146
CUT -- 6 -- -- 70 76 -- -- 146
CUT -- 6 -- -- 77 69 -- -- 146
CUT -- 7 -- -- 72 75 -- -- 147
CUT -- 7 -- -- 77 70 -- -- 147
CUT -- 9 -- -- 73 76 -- -- 149
CUT -- 9 -- -- 79 70 -- -- 149
CUT -- 14 -- -- 81 73 -- -- 154
DQ -- -- -- -- 73 -- -- -- 73

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