TEXAS SWING!
The PGA Tour heads to its usual two-week Texas swing as the 61st Byron Nelson Championship takes center stage at the TPC Las Colinas. Jason Dufner is the defending champ.
TPC SAWGRASS NEXT
Defending champion Matt Kuchar returns to the TPC at Sawgrass this week as he will be joined by the strongest field of the year for the 40th edition of the PLAYERS Championship.
BACK IN THE WINNERS' CIRCLE
Graeme McDowell ended a three-year drought on U.S. soil with his playoff win against Webb Simpson at the RBC Heritage Classic at historic Harbour Town Golf Links.
AT LONG LAST!
In a thrilling final round at the 77th Masters, 32-year-old Aussie Adam Scott birdied the second playoff hole to beat 2009 champion Angel Cabrera for his first career major championship.
TEXAS KING!
With a stellar nine-under 63 in the final round at the TPC San Antonio, Scotland's Martin Laird earned his third career PGA Tour title and punched his ticket for this week's Masters.
Robert Karlsson followed his opening 64 at the HP Byron Nelson Championship with an 8-over-par 41-37=78 to reach the midpoint in 2-over 142, two strokes too high to play the weekend.
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Impact
Talk about a stunning turn of events. Just when the tall Swede appeared to have everything under control, the golf gods decided otherwise. He hit just eight greens in regulation today and converted one birdie. Elsewhere, he swallowed six bogeys and a triple bogey-7 at the par-4 11th hole where he rinsed his tee ball and didn't find the green until his fifth stroke. Karlsson will attempt to get back on the horse at next week's Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. He tied for fifth in his only appearance in Fort Worth in 2011.
Brian Stuard reached the midpoint of the HP Byron Nelson Championship in even-par 71-69=140 to survive the cut on the number.
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Impact
Stuard hit 30 greens in regulation at TPC Four Seasons over his first 36 holes, but offset six birdies with four bogeys and a double. While he puts an 0-for-5 slide to an end, his work isn't done. Because 83 golfers made the cut, a second cut of low 70 and ties will fall at the conclusion of 54 holes. Others sneaking inside the bubble at 140 include defending champion Jason Dufner; 2010 winner Jason Day; 2009 champ Rory Sabbatini; Padraig Harrington; and 52-year-old Kenny Perry, who admitted on Golf Channel this week that he didn't know that he was still fully exempt on the PGA TOUR. Clearly, the senior doesn't read Rotoworld where we always keep up on status.
Franklin Corpening spun a 6-under-par 31-35=66 in the second round of the BMW Championship to take sole possession of the lead at 15-under 128.
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Impact
Corpening shared the 18 hole lead after a sizzling 62 at Thornblade Club, then turned his attenion to The Reserve at Lake Keowee in the second round. Starting on the back, he birdied five of his first eight holes before tacking on a sixth and final birdie on the par-5 fifth. He's been a model of efficiency, playing his first 36 holes without a blemish on the card. He'll try and extend the gap in the third round, where he'll see Greenville Country Club for the first time on Saturday.
Harris English chased his opening 64 at the HP Byron Nelson Championship with an even-par 35-35=70 in his second round.
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Impact
There were absolutely nothing special about today's loop of TPC Four Seasons. He hit 12 greens in regulation and converted three birdies, the longest of which just 8'5" at the par-3 fifth hole, but he offset them with three bogeys. He whiffed on two attempts inside eight feet, the latter leading to his last bogey (at 11), but the first miss set the tone (or lack thereof) for the day. He stuffed his tee ball to 46 inches at the par-3 second but two-putted for par. English is 6-under 134 at the midpoint, five strokes off the 36-hole lead. He was the last of 12 to the halfway mark inside the top 10 on the leaderboard.
Kevin Sutherland shot 2-over-par 69-73=142 at the HP Byron Nelson Championship, missing the cut by two strokes.
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Impact
Sutherland converted on only three of 28 birdie chances this week; he went 0-for-14 in the second round. This leaves him with four starts on his Major Medical Extension to earn $342,991 and retain status.
Gary Woodland carded a 5-under-par 32-33=65 in his second round of the HP Byron Nelson Championship to hit the halfway point in 6-under 134, five strokes off the 36-hole lead.
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Impact
Woodland hasn't earned much attention this year and entered the week ranked 131st in FedExCup points, but he's cashed in nine of 12 starts, so it's more of a matter of putting four rounds together. The touring pros often classify this as being "close." Today's effort was more of a smothering, however, as he went 8-for-13 in birdie opportunities and signed his card with a strokes gained-putting split north of 3.250. Five of his eight birdies disappeared from outside 10 feet, including rolls of 35'6" at the 16th hole and 36'5" at 2. The only knock is that he got up and down just two of five times to reach seven bogeys on the week. Still, when you can offset the negative with 13 birdies through two rounds, it indicates a high level of confidence.
Scott Piercy followed his opening 66 at the HP Byron Nelson Championship with a 2-under-par 33-35=68 in the second round to reach the halfway point in 6-under 134, five strokes adrift of the 36-hole lead.
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Impact
Piercy hit the ground running today with a 19'6" conversion for birdie at the 10th hole. He added another birdie from 13'7" at 15 but picked up just one the rest of the way despite hitting 15 greens in regulation for the second consecutive day. He missed two chances inside nine feet, the second of which from 5'11" at the par-3 fifth where he three-putted from just inside 46 feet. So, while he signed his card inside the top five in GIR, he was in the middle of the pack in strokes gained-putting with a split just over 0.150. This is not a formula that will help him contend on the weekend.
Scott Verplank reached the midpoint of the HP Byron Nelson Championship in 3-over-par 75-68=143 and will miss the cut.
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Impact
The 48-year-old entered the week as the all-time earnings leader at this tournament, but he has virtually zero fantasy value as this was his 26th appearance at the HPBNC. He hit 23 greens in regulation and converted six birdies but negated the effort with six bogeys and a triple. The wasted opportunity leaves him with 10 starts on his Major Medical Extension to earn $591,170 and retain status.
Steve Flesch spun a 4-under-par 33-33=66 in his second round of the HP Byron Nelson Championship, but will miss the cut.
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Impact
Flesch offset one bogey with five birdies today to shave 11 strokes off Thursday's opening round that featured seven bogeys and a double. Now 0-for-2 on the season, he's down to four starts on his Non-exempt Medical Extension to earn $647,510 and a promotion to the Major Medical category.
Ted Potter, Jr. settled for an even-par 33-37=70 in his second round of the HP Byron Nelson Championship to reach the halfway point in 6-under 134, five strokes off the 36-hole lead.
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Impact
Potter, Jr. sunk four birdies on par 4s today, including a round-closing 19-footer at the ninth hole, but he wiped them off with two bogeys and a double. The over-par holes included a three-putt from just inside 37 feet at the par-3 second and a 6 at the par-4 eighth where he found a greenside bunker with his approach and needed to blasts to escape.