AVONDALE, La. – Based on their previous history at TPC Louisiana, neither Peter Malnati nor Billy Hurley III should be among the contenders at this week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Malnati had made three starts in this event. He’s missed the cut each time. Hurley has made four starts here. He’s also missed the cut three times. The one time he did make the cut, he finished T-80 and failed to get past the second cut into Sunday. No surprise that a year ago, in their first time as partners in the team format, they did not reach the weekend. “In general, I don’t think either of us would say this was the greatest course for us,â€� Hurley said. And yet here they are, at the end of play on Friday, atop the leaderboard at 14 under, having followed their morning 9-under 63 in Foursomes with a 5-under 67 in afternoon Fourballs. Yes, the second round has yet to be completed. There’s still plenty of golf left. But it’s evident through their 36 bogey-free holes that neither Malnati nor Hurley are letting the frustration of past outcomes determine how they will fare this week. “You’re right, my record here is terrible,â€� Malnati said. “I’ve never seen Saturday here, and I don’t think he’s ever seen Sunday. I didn’t come into this week thinking, ‘Oh, man, oh, man, it’s such a hard course.’ I just came in thinking, ‘Oh, man, I’ve played lousy here every year but I’m not going to this year. “I’m ready. I think I was due – and we were collectively due.â€� Credit goes to a different team mindset this year. Last year, they took the attitude of simply doing their own thing, just like they do for every other event on the PGA TOUR schedule. “We do this 51 weeks a year,â€� Malnati explained. “Let’s not change too much. I’ll work with my caddie, you work with your caddie.â€� It obviously didn’t work. So they’ve now embraced the team concept. They talk about shots together. They game-plan their strategy together. They’re trying to operate as a single entity. Related: Tee times | The secret ingredient to success in New Orleans | How International partners fared in Round 1 | Sabbatini, Gay find right formula “Anytime two players can talk about a shot, you’re going to come up with a better solution than just one player,â€� said Hurley, who is making just his fifth start of the season while playing out of the Past Champion category. There was a moment early in Friday’s Four-balls that stood out for them. Malnati’s sand wedge into the first green hit the pin and shot back 36 feet from the pin. Hurley’s approach, however, landed 7 feet away. But after reading the putt together, the ball did not break as expected, and they settled for par. On the par-5 second, each had birdie putts inside 15 feet. Malnati missed his, but Hurley followed by draining his 13-footer. It was the first of nine team birdies in a 12-hole stretch. “If we come out of the first two holes as good as shots as we had hit and didn’t have a birdie, I think we would’ve been like, oh, geez,â€� Malnati said. “For him to make that putt – I was so glad I had a partner. I was so glad he made that putt, and I think that got our day going.â€� The question now is: Can they keep it going? After all, they’re entering the weekend in unchartered territory at TPC Louisiana. A late tee time in the Four-balls third round. Certainly they’ll tee off in contention, if not leading, once the second round is completed Saturday morning. The pressure will increase. They’ll need to keep leaning on each other. “It’s so much fun,â€� Malnati said. “One week a year we’re actually rooting for someone else out here other than just ourselves.â€�
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