JACKSON, Miss. – It was a simple fix. It usually is. Cameron Champ was unhappy with his ball-striking after the second round of the Sanderson Farms Championship. He FaceTimed his coach, Sean Foley, in search of an answer. “I just get really short with my backswing and I don’t allow enough time to lay it off at the top,â€� Champ said. “I get swiping it left.â€� He started Saturday with a solid warm-up session on the range. He ended it with a four-shot lead in just his second start as a TOUR member. “I was able to give myself a lot of chances,â€� he said. The kid from California who’s gained attention for his prodigious tee shots now has a chance to be known by a more meaningful title. “PGA TOUR winner.â€� His incredible length has already landed him on the cover of Golf Digest. No TOUR player wants to be a sideshow, though. They want to be known for shooting the lowest score. That’s what truly matters. “It’s great you can hit it far, but if other parts of your game aren’t good you’re not going to be able to play the game,â€� Champ said Thursday, after shooting a first-round 65 at the Country Club of Jackson. He has held at least a share of the lead after each round this week. He’s now four ahead with just 18 holes remaining at the Country Club of Jackson. Second-year TOUR player Corey Conners, who got married last week in Canada, is his closest pursuer. It takes more than long tee shots to amass such a large 54-hole lead. He’s missed just 10 greens this week while showing exceptional skill with the shortest club in his bag. He’s eighth in Strokes Gained: Putting, making nearly half of the putts he’s faced from 10-20 feet this week. He’s 4 for 7 from 10-15 feet. The advantage he has on the tee shouldn’t be underrated, though. He leads the field in driving distance, averaging nearly 307 yards on all tee shots. Nine of his 14 tee shots traveled longer than 310 yards in Saturday’s warm conditions, including six over 320. He confirms what the Strokes Gained stats have shown us. Length off the tee is an invaluable asset. Just look at the way he has decimated the par-5s on this century-old layout. He’s birdied 10 of the 12 he’s played. On Saturday, Champ hit iron into all four. Twice he hit 8-iron. His physical skills are obvious. He displayed internal fortitude, as well, on Saturday. He was clinging to a one-shot lead when he came to the par-4 12th hole, the hardest on the course in the third round. His wedge shot from the rough took a big bounce and stopped some 20 yards over the green. His ball was laying on a tight lie and he was staring at a lake on the other side of the putting surface. Champ opted for the safe play, a bump-and-run, but his chip shot stopped short of the green. He holed the next one for an unlikely par. He took control of the tournament with birdies on the next three holes. He parred the final three for a 64. The rookie matched the day’s low score while playing in the final group for the first time. He was still an amateur this time last year, preparing for the second stage of Q-School after helping the United States dominate the Walker Cup at Los Angeles Country Club. He successfully navigated Q-School, then won on the Web.com Tour in 2018. His first taste of the spotlight came at last year’s U.S. Open at Erin Hills. He was in the top 10 at the halfway point before finishing T32. “That was probably the most nervous I’ve ever been,â€� Champ said. “I feel like I’ve grown as a player and understand how to approach the game when you’re in this position.â€� His experience will help him in his pursuit of his first PGA TOUR title. His length won’t hurt, either.
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