Expert picks, best bets and props that can’t miss for the 2022 Masters

CROMWELL, Conn. – Notes and observations from Friday’s second round of the Travelers Championship, where Jordan Spieth shot a 1-under 69 to get to 8 under par and in pole position for his second PGA TOUR victory of the season and 11th overall. Troy Merritt (68) and Patrick Reed (66) were at 7 under, while Wesley Bryan (67) was part of a quartet of players two back. For more coverage from TPC River Highlands, click here for the Daily Wrap-up. SPIETH LIMITS DAMAGE Jordan Spieth knew it might be difficult to follow up the best opening round of his young TOUR career, and it was. Not as sharp Friday as he was the day before (63), he still broke 70 at TPC River Highlands and managed to hang onto the lead by himself. For his “badâ€� round, it was pretty good. “I feel like I can control my own destiny on the weekend,â€� said Spieth, whose four birdies covered up a bogey and a double-bogey 7 at the 13th hole. “I’ve been kind of far behind in a lot of the events in making a comeback run, but being able to be toward the front of the pack on a Saturday afternoon is a beautiful position to be in, and one that we’ll certainly embrace.â€� Spieth is a first-timer at the Travelers, but it hasn’t taken him long to figure the place out. The course is short (6,841 yards), but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. “It’s tricked out elsewhere,â€� he said after hitting just 12 greens in regulation, three fewer than on day one. “And being very patient on the weekend is key. I always mention that, that’s always the word. I try to tell myself that, and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.â€� Spieth took 29 putts, two more than he had in the first round. His double at the 13th was the result of pulling his drive out of bounds left. “One bad swing,â€� he said. “Otherwise it was a pretty solid round.â€� Playing partner Wesley Bryan (67, 6 under) sounded duly impressed. “Jordan’s hitting his driver great right now,â€� Bryan said. “I’m just thinking, man, if I could be playing from where he’s hitting some of these tee shots, it could play a lot easier.â€� SEIFFERT SEEKS SEMINOLE TRIFECTA Chase Seiffert, 25, is older than Daniel Berger and younger than Brooks Koepka, but all three played for Florida State, and all three have made news lately. First came Berger, who picked up his second PGA TOUR victory when he successfully defended his title at the FedEx St. Jude Classic two weeks ago. Then Koepka won the U.S. Open at Erin Hills last week. Now Seiffert—pronounced SEE-fert—is 6 under par and in a three-way tie for fourth, just two shots off the lead after posting a 4-under 66 Friday. “We’ve been talking all week about three straight Seminoles winning,â€� Seiffert said after a round that featured eagles at the par-4 third hole and the par-5 13th. “It’d be pretty cool.â€� Almost as cool would be if Seiffert were to play well on the weekend to give himself some sort of status for the remainder of this season. He Monday-qualified for the Travelers, his 67 at Ellington Ridge Country Club sharing medalist honors and marking the second time he has successfully Monday-qualified into a TOUR event this season (RSM Classic, T74). It’s not an easy life. “If it’s inside 10 hours I’ll drive,â€� Seiffert said of his Monday routine, which requires copious travel with zero job security. “Anything longer than that I’ll fly. I don’t want to ruin my back. I carry my own bag; it’s a lightweight carry bag. Although I did carry my staff bag once to Monday-qualify into a Web event. People looked at me funny.â€� Seiffert’s girlfriend and his mom went all 18 holes with him Friday, despite the stifling heat and humidity, and the fact that his mom, Stephanie Bagshaw, wears a brace on her left knee. “We made the weekend!â€� she said afterward. For Seiffert, it’s just a start; he needs to do more to leave those Monday qualifiers behind. “I came in the week with no status on any tour,â€� he said. “I knew my game was really good, and good enough to even be out here. I just had to get it done. I played well on Monday, and to come out and play the first two rounds like I did, it gives me a lot of confidence.â€� “… It’s definitely pressure just because I know what’s at stake. A good week, and I could maybe get a card or something like that, so there’s definitely pressure in that regard.â€� CALL OF THE DAY LAHIRI AT PEACE BEFORE, AFTER 63 Three weeks ago Anirban Lahiri tied for second at the Memorial Tournament Presented by Nationwide, which got him up to 44th in the FedExCup standings and 15th in the race to make his second Presidents Cup team—a goal that’s been on his mind all year. What has he been doing since then? Quieting his mind at the Vipassana Meditation Center in Shelburne Falls, Massahusetts, about 90 minutes north of TPC River Highlands. “It was just coincidence that that center was there,â€� Lahiri said after his round, which featured five birdies, an eagle and no bogeys. “I’ve done this course three times back home in India starting in 2004. So, I’ve been doing this for 13 years. It’s something that’s very close to me. “You go to the center for ten days, you switch your phones off. There is no TV, you’re not allowed to read. You’re meditating. You’re not allowed to talk. So, there is like complete silence for nine and a half days or so, and you’re meditating 10, 12 hours a day. It’s not just a walk in the park. You’re actually doing work, and working on improving yourself.â€� Lahiri, 29, has long heard he is too hard on himself—from his coach, his wife, his parents, and everyone else who knows him. But it’s not that easy. “I always believe unless I’m critical of myself, I can’t improve,â€� he said. “But it’s a fine line.â€� He has done a lot already to be the best player from India, but he’s not yet where he wants to be. At 66th in the Official World Golf Ranking, he’s still trying to get into the top 50 to punch his ticket to next month’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. Nothing seemed to go right in his opening-round 73 at the Travelers, but his 63 got him to 4 under total, just four back. Was it the meditation? He says he doesn’t do it for golf, but it helps, nonetheless. “If you’re in a better place mentally overall, it will translate into everything,â€� Lahiri said.“Whether it’s work or sport or home or relationships, whatever it is. I mean, if you’re a happy person, or if you’re in a place where you’re at peace, it translates into everything.â€� ODDS AND ENDS A year after he made the cut on the number only to shoot a PGA TOUR record 58 in the final round of the Travelers, Jim Furyk is in much better position going into the weekend. He fired a 2-under 68 Friday to get to 5 under overall, three off the lead. “It’s been good,â€� Furyk said. “It’s been like coming back to a place where you’ve won in the past.â€� … When Jason Day, 45th in the FedExCup standings, missed a six-foot par putt on 18, it appeared that he had finished 1 over par and would miss the cut by a shot. As it turned out, he signed for a par 4 instead of the birdie he made at the fourth hole, and had to accept the higher score. His second-round 70 meant he missed the cut by two, not one. … Rory McIlroy’s right foot slipped on his approach shot to the 18th green, where he bogeyed for a second-round 73 to fall back to even par. He made the cut on the number. … Troy Merritt (68, 7 under par, one back) switched to a new Odyssey Putter for THE PLAYERS Championship last month. It didn’t immediately pay dividends. “I didn’t make any putts there,â€� he said after making over 200 feet of putts in the first two rounds at TPC River Highlands. “When I went back home for three weeks, I changed my routine a little bit. Get over the ball, no practice strokes. Just find my line and hit it. A little bit more reaction versus standing over the ball for a long time. It’s finally starting to feel a lot more comfortable now.â€� … Wesley Bryan seemed to be committing himself to the Travelers for the long term after shooting a second-round 67 to get to 6 under, just two behind playing partner Spieth. “I love this place,â€� Bryan said. “It’s going to be one of those stops that’s going to be hard for me not to put on the schedule moving forward. The golf course fits my eye.â€�  SHOT OF THE DAY BEST OF SOCIAL MEDIA

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After a year off as the new schedule took shape the Houston Open returns in a new time slot in the expanded fall portion of the FedExCup after spending significant time as the precursor to the Masters. But it still seems like yesterday a fist pounding Ian Poulter took out a young Beau Hossler in a pulsating playoff. Perhaps this time the heroics will fall to his European teammate Henrik Stenson who makes his 2019-20 season debut. RELATED: Featured Groups, tee times | Power Rankings THE FLYOVER The 488-yard par-4 18th has provided plenty of drama over the years as one of the most difficult finishing holes on TOUR. It was the ninth hardest finishing hole in 2018 (4.223) – the last time we were at the Golf Club of Houston – primarily because of the water down the entire left side and the bunkers on the right. There is no faking it here. If you want to win this tournament you need to step up and hit good shots or you open the door for others. LANDING ZONE The 338-yard par-4 12th hole provides players with a risk-reward opportunity as they look to make a run. Of course laying up with iron is always an option given the water down the right side and the bunkers on the left but those who thread the needle can certainly find the putting surface and set up an eagle chance. Here’s a look at where everyone played from off the tee in 2018. WEATHER CHECK From meteorologist Joe Halvorson: Southeasterly winds will increase in speed on Thursday, bringing back an influx of humidity along with an isolated coverage of showers during the afternoon. A strong cold front will bring a likely chance of showers (60% rain probability) and a few thunderstorms (30-40% lightning probability) for Friday. There remains some uncertainty with the exact timing of this cold front, but generally expect a passage sometime between 10am-1pm Friday. Blustery north-northwesterly winds are expected to occur behind the cold front Friday afternoon. A lingering shower or two will remain possible early Saturday morning, otherwise expect much cooler and drier conditions to take over for the weekend. For the latest weather news from the Golf Club of Houston, check out PGATOUR.COM’s Weather Hub. SOUND CHECK “It’s always sad when one of the trusties has to retire,â€� BY THE NUMBERS 6 – Number of fall series winners (from eight tournaments) who went on to qualify for the season-ending TOUR Championship and had a chance at the FedExCup last season. Will we get a glimpse of a potential champion this week? The fall now has 11 events and last season all 30 TOUR Championship players had starts in the fall. 605 – The amount of points early FedExCup leader Sebastián Muñoz already has tallied up as he looks to extend his spot atop the Wyndham Rewards Top 10 list. There are 17 players in this week’s field who can steal top spot away this week. 63 – The current course record. Held jointly by Sung Kang (2017), Scott Piercy (2015), Jimmy Walker (2011), Phil Mickelson (2011), Johnson Wagner (2008) and Adam Scott (2008). 24 – Number of playoffs at the Houston Open including last time out when Ian Poulter defeated Beau Hossler. SCATTERSHOTS Houston native and University of Texas sophomore Cole Hammer is set to make a second career start on the PGA TOUR and first since the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay at age 15. Currently sits No. 2 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Was a member of the winning 2019 Walker Cup team and won the Mark H. McCormack Medal as 2019’s top amateur. This is the third time the Houston Open will be played in the fall. The first time was in November 1966 when Arnold Palmer shot a final round 69 to take the prize. The other was in October 1991 when Fulton Allem shot 66 to overtake a handful of challengers, including Tom Kite. While the Houston Open has been played at the Golf Club of Houston since 2003, the Tournament Course has served as the Host Course since 2006. Beginning in 2020, the tournament will be played at Memorial Park, a city-owned park in downtown Houston.

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During Round 2 of the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide, Tiger Woods made the crowd roar when he holed out for eagle from 95 yards on the par-5 11th hole. He finished Friday at 5 under for the tournament. Can he capitalize on a strong round and make a move on the weekend?

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