2017 THE NORTHERN TRUST, Round 3: Leaderboard, tee times, TV schedule

San Antonio, Texas — A two-and-a-half-hour fog delay to the second round of Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada Q-School-Central at TPC San Antonio didn’t faze Englishman David Wicks, who followed up his opening round 65 with a 71 to hold onto the lead among players to finish 36 holes after darkness halted play.    “After I finished, our group looked at each other and said, ‘was it harder out there today, or were we just worse’?’� said Wicks. “We couldn’t really tell because the weather was great, but the pins were a little bit tougher and the wind was swirling a bit, so it definitely played harder today, in my opinion.� Wicks’ cogitation was quickly confirmed by the leaderboard. Despite near ideal conditions, a hardened TPC San Antonio surrendered only four sub-70 rounds on Wednesday (though, just over half the field posted an 18-hole score, with the remainder left to finish their second round on Thursday morning). Starting on the back nine, the Jacksonville University alum quickly picked up where he left off on Tuesday, making birdie on hole No. 12 before making two in a row on both 17 and 18, as he did in the opening round. After making eagle on hole No. 2 after hitting his second shot within three feet of the pin from 285-yards, Wicks made his first bogey of the week, and then made double bogey on hole No. 4 due to a loose swing off the tee.    “The driver departed me on the last seven or eight holes, and you have to hit fairways on this course, there’s no way around it,� said the Englishman. “Especially on the front nine, which was my finishing nine, but hopefully I can get that figured out before tomorrow and go again.� Meanwhile, Case Cochran trails by one while five players sit three-strokes behind. Key Information · Shotaro Ban, the older brother of Shintaro Ban, who shot a second-round 74 on Wednesday in San Antonio to put himself T3, is currently playing in the PGA TOUR China qualifier in Guangzhou. Shotaro played at Cal and had limited success in China in 2018. Through two rounds, Shotaro Ban is even par and T10. · Case Cochran found some success on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica, with his best finish coming in 2016 in the form of a 24th place finish on the year-end order of merit, which including two runner-up finishes. Cochran has made only three bogeys through two rounds to go along with nine birdies. · During his first round, Kolton Crawford made nine consecutive pars on his closing nine. On Wednesday, Crawford made seven pars, total. He matched that number with seven birdies to go along with four bogeys for a 69 and a two-day score of 5-under. · Amateur Kyler Dunkle, who is currently completing his senior year at Utah, made his way to TPC San Antonio a week after a T19 finish at The Prestige. The 23-year-old has made only two bogeys through 36 holes and sits T3.   · Past Clemson roommates Bryson Nimmer (70-70) and Doc Redman (67-73) each sit at 4-under after two days. · Scott Secord, who claimed the Canadian University Championship twice (2014, 2016) and finished in seventh at the 2013 Canadian Amateur Championship, is currently the low Canadian at 1-under through 36 holes.  Quotable “Despite the finish today, I’ve played some good golf this week, but have lots to work on going forward, which is nice. I can see some more good days out there hopefully on Thursday and Friday.� – David Wicks “Hopefully we can get everything done and finished tomorrow. I know a few guys are stuck having to come out again tomorrow morning, so it was nice knowing that we got ours in today.� – David Wicks “Without the wind, you can be aggressive if you’re hitting it good, and I’ve been hitting it good for two days, so I’m looking to just keep the momentum going.� – Case Cochran “I got to three or four holes yesterday and it started heating up and I realized I can hit a two iron and a seven iron into the hole instead of blasting driver into the narrow areas. This golf course challenges you off the tee, but it doesn’t stop there, so you have to hit your second shot just as good. You have to plot along and know there’s no cut, so you want to get to the top of the leaderboard and feel good about it.� – Case Cochran “I would have been shocked by this score a week ago, but knowing the forecast without wind, I’m very happy with it. I would have thought 7-under would be impossible on this course with it blowing twenty miles, but with none, it’s definitely gettable. – Case Cochran “I know I’m playing well, so the big thing this week is staying focus, you’re going to have a few bad holes in four days, so every time you have a bad hole you have to have short-term memory and re-focus.� – Austin Quick How the Tournament Works There are 120 players competing this week with hopes of earning Mackenzie Tour membership for the 2019 season. Below is a breakdown of the status available at each of the six Qualifying Tournaments: Second-Round Weather: Sunny. High of 23. Wind at 10 KPH.

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Xander Schauffele wants to be the hunted rather than the hunter. The 25-year-old has already won four times on the PGA TOUR, including a World Golf Championships event and a TOUR Championship, but something about those wins has left a void he wants to fill. Schauffele is undoubtedly proud of his efforts but he came from behind in all four triumphs, something he says brings less pressure and therefore keeps him out of the most elite company on the PGA TOUR. Finishing third, 15th and second in the FedExCup over his first three seasons is incredible, but Schauffele has higher aspirations. His lone 54-hole lead came at the 2018 Open Championship where he sat tied with Jordan Spieth and Kevin Kisner, but he shot 3 over on Sunday to settle for a runner-up finish behind Francesco Molinari. So he starts his 2019-20 season at this week’s ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP in Japan with a specific goal: get more 54-hole leads, and convert them. “If I just would be in contention more, that would be awesome … The way I look at it and the way my team looks at it, I haven’t really done a whole lot,â€� Schauffele said. “It’s a little bit harsh, but it’s just sort of how I’m judged at certain times by either my dad or people on my team that give me advice, and it’s true at times. “In order for me to become more of an elite player and more of an established name I think it would be important for me to sort of play to what I know I can do at certain times versus trying to be the come‑from‑behind kid.â€� Schauffele’s first win at the 2017 Military Tribute at the Greenbrier came from three back at the 54-hole mark. Later that season he erased a two-shot deficit on Sunday to win the TOUR Championship. Last season he made up three shots at the World Golf Championships–HSBC Champions in China on the way to victory and was a distant five shots back before storming home to win the Sentry Tournament of Champions. “I don’t mind coming from behind, it’s plenty easy and more comfortable than trying to sleep on what I would imagine to be a 54‑hole lead,â€� he says. “Look at all these other players. JT (Justin Thomas) has already won 11 times. He’s a bit of an exception, too. He’s an incredible player. There’s a bunch of other guys, though, who have had 54‑hole leads who have closed them.â€� If the 2017 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year is to get a quick start on his goal it might be in part due to some huge family support at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club this week. Schauffele estimates he’s been to Japan 10 to 12 times as his mother’s family resides in the country where she grew up from the age of 2. A huge contingent is expected to flock to the course to watch, and word is they may even have special shirts and hats for the occasion. “I’ve maxed out tickets but I’m still asking for tickets from everyone else, from other players, if they have any extra,â€� he confirms. “It’s just really cool. I haven’t been able to play in front of my mom’s family at all. It’s kind of special for me and my family. I’m assuming 30 to 40 maybe. I have a bunch of cousins, uncles, you name it.â€�

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How to adapt in a pandemic? Put one foot in front of the other, for starters. At facilities that remain open amid the coronavirus pandemic – about 49 percent of courses nationwide as of last weekend, according to the National Golf Foundation – golfers are going back to walking in order to practice social distancing and avoid touching potentially infected things like golf carts. “People are finding that walking isn’t that bad,� said David Ward, a teaching pro at Jacksonville Beach Golf Club in Florida, where business remains strong and every other tee time is a walking tee time. The course has just 72 carts, and with the one-per-cart rule, they go fast. Jax Beach also offers a coronavirus deal on carts; two people go in on one cart for a slightly reduced rate, and each walks for nine of the holes to maintain healthy distancing. According to estimates, walkers cover about five miles and burn roughly 2,000 calories over 18 holes. (Compared to around 1,300 calories for riding.) But walking had fallen out of favor. Now, though, it’s back by necessity. Putting one foot in front of the other has made such a comeback that even before the current lockdown – all but five states have some form of stay-at-home order, either state-wide or partial, impacting 95 percent of the country’s population – golfers were reporting a scarcity of push/pull carts in big-box stores. The trend is more than anecdotal. “We’ve seen a sizeable uptick in the sales of push and pull carts,� said Rodney Chamblee, Merchant of Accessories for PGA TOUR Superstore, where such carts start at $119.99. How sizeable? Sales have doubled over the past several weeks, he said. “That’s certainly been a positive,� said Chamblee, who is not related to Brandel Chamblee, the Golf Channel analyst. “Unfortunately most of things are manufactured in Asia, and you can’t go for long like that before your supplier runs out. China is still recovering from the coronavirus, so a lot of the manufacturing has just gotten going again, and you’re beginning to run into a bit of an imbalance between supply and demand here. If you want a cart, you better get one.� Will the surge of walkers endure even after the pandemic has abated? It’s too early to tell, but possibly. “Our course is not overly long,� said teaching pro Ward of Jacksonville Beach, “and it’s not a hike from the greens to the tees. You’re not walking through a subdivision. I think a lot of people will keep walking.�

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