Caddie Confidential: Bonus time and a little Rory McIlroy scuttlebutt

SAN ANTONIO — When Charley Hoffman approached a veteran television reporter for a post-round interview, the broadcaster greeted Hoffman with a smile. “I knew at some point this week you were going to come and talk to me,” the reporter said. Hoffman, 42, grinned. This is his 14th career start at the Valero Texas Open and in addition to being the 2016 champion, Hoffman has recorded a runner-up, a third and five top-10 finishes in this event. In other words, he’s a world-beater at TPC San Antonio, where he’s also never missed the cut, and has become accustomed to conducting interviews as one of the tournament leaders. “The old saying ‘Horses for courses,’ it’s not a fluke. I think it’s something,” Hoffman said. “I really enjoy San Antonio. I really enjoy the (J.W. Marriott) Resort. My family loves coming here and hanging out.  I think we’re always in a good frame of mind this week. Even after a tough start to the year, I came with a good head on the shoulders and it’s showing.” Hoffman rocketed up the leaderboard on Saturday, shooting an 8-under 64, the low round of the tournament and his career-best at TPC San Antonio. He started with two birdies and finished even hotter, closing with two birdies and an eagle at 18 to climb into third place at 13-under 203 and two strokes behind 54-hole leader Si Woo Kim. Hoffman, a four-time PGA TOUR winner, said he had hoped playing at TPC San Antonio would give his season a spark. He hasn’t recorded a top-10 finish since the 2017 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, and has missed the cut in more than half of his 11 starts this season and three of his last four coming into this week. He blamed his pedestrian play of late on a balky putter. Hoffman said instructor Derek Uyeda and Greg Rose noticed he was getting too fixated on his alignment. Rose, who runs the Titleist Performance Institute, doesn’t usually look at Hoffman’s putting, but compared his stroke to that of Jack Nicklaus.  “He said Nicklaus is always tracing the line back and forth to the ball and you’re just standing over the ball stagnant,” Hoffman said. “He said, ‘I don’t care how good you are lined up over the ball. You don’t have any feel.’ It was pretty easy once he showed me and I worked on it last week and it’s been going great.” Hoffman added, “I think I’m a fairly good putter when I used my instincts and just visualize the putt going in instead of getting honed in on a line.” Hoffman led the field in Strokes Gained: Putting on Saturday (+3.953) and ranks 13th for the week. Hoffman rolled in birdie putts early and then survived the onslaught of the rain in the middle of his round. He chipped in at No. 11 to keep his momentum going and played his last five holes in 5 under. “Once the sun came out again, the birdies did also,” Hoffman said. “It was nice to finish off the round birdie‑birdie‑eagle.” At the par-5 18th, Hoffman had 284 yards from the right rough and drew a good lie. He ripped 3-wood to 10 feet and sank the eagle putt. “This finish is where you get this golf course,” Hoffman said. “I was able to take advantage of my good golf shots and hopefully carry that momentum, that finish into tomorrow’s round.”

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JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Number-crunchers were still waiting for the final finishers to complete Friday’s second round of THE NORTHERN TRUST, but one category seemed finalized. Jordan Spieth had led the field in Strokes Gained: Total, with 7.016. RELATED: Full leaderboard | FedExCup update: Keith Mitchell makes move after brilliant birdie run Spieth, minutes after shooting a 9-under 62, seemed to shrug that off, probably because he had another stat in his head. He told a reporter that he figures he led the field in “Strokes Gained: Plus 8, in luck.” Pretty good quip and goodness know but someone might just go and take on quantifying such a category, but Spieth’s assessment of his round was spot on. Even for his uncanny standard of scrambling, Round 2 of this FedExCup Playoff at Liberty National Golf Club was one for the highlight reel. We circle the par-4 fifth and par-5 sixth. At the former, Spieth split the fairway perfectly, then holed out with a wedge shot from 81 yards. One hole later, he was miles right with his drive, then hit a 246-yard shot that didn’t carry onto the green and seemed to be headed toward some water. “I got really lucky it held up in the hazard,” said Spieth, whose good fortune wasn’t over. His pitch from just inside of 30 yards was hot and likely going to be long, only it hit the flagstick square and dropped. Nothing like a little eagle, eagle to change the mood of a round. And to think, said Spieth, “I was worried about the cut” when he fell to 1-over for the tournament with a bogey at the first. Two eagles, six birdies, and a handful of Spieth-like par saves later, and he put himself in contention – at 8-under 134 he is tied for 10th, four behind Jon Rahm (67). So often, it is the putter that carries this young man, but he pointed out that he didn’t have “many putts outside of 5 feet.” And just why was that? “Because I didn’t play normal golf today. It was just kind of one of those days where you know you won’t get away with it throughout the weekend. “But I chipped the ball unbelievably well (setting up a handful of kick-ins for birdie or par), I wedged it beautifully, and I was patient.” Oh, and lucky. He confirms that was a big part of his day. Golfers being golfers, they know there is good luck and back luck, and the question was asked: Will it even out over the course of a career? Spieth laughed. “It’s weird, but you always focus on when you get a bad break versus the good one. But I would imagine, yeah, it evens out.” We suspect he’s correct. But we also know if anyone can overcome bad luck with a five-star scrambling game, it’s Spieth. Which is why, when the luck is on the good side, it computes to 62.

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