Spieth sticking to the gameplan

Kevin Streelman … The veteran always gets off to a nice start, but he’s performed well throughout his career no matter where the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open has slotted on the schedule. Since his tournament debut in 2008, he’s 8-for-8 with a runner-up finish in 2014 among five top 25s and a scoring average of 68.53. Cracked the seal on this season with a T25 at the Safeway Open where he ranked second in fairways hit, T2 in green in regulation and second in proximity to the hole. J.J. Spaun … Seeking redemption after squandering the 36-hole lead and 54-hole co-lead here a year ago. He settled for a share of 10th place with a 3-over 74 in the finale when scoring was at its easiest in the tournament. Ironically, he’s also coming off a T10 at THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES, the eighth consecutive cut made of a streak that started at the other PGA TOUR event in Nevada with a T3 at the Barracuda Championship. His strength is tee to green with bursts of red-hot putting sprinkled in. Aggressive player. Harris English … He needed a T11 at the Wyndham Championship to secure his card for an eighth consecutive season and he won’t turn 30 until next July! With a pair of paydays to open 2018-19, he’s survived four of his last five cuts. It’s a modest pace but he achieved it just one other time over the last 12 months. Last year’s missed cut at TPC Summerlin occurred at the midpoint of an 0-for-5 autumn, but he placed T4 here two years ago with quad 67s. In 18 career rounds in competition, he’s averaged 68.94. Alex Prugh … The 34-year-old is in his sixth season with PGA TOUR status, this time as a Web.com Tour Finals grad. All six of his career top 10s in 115 starts as a professional have occurred either on or near the West Coast. While statistically improbable, it’s not surprising given his roots in Washington State. Simply put, he’s most comfortable on the left side of the country. As he readies for his sixth start at TPC Summerlin, he’s still chasing his first top 25 in the tournament despite a scoring average of 69.24. After ranking T8 on the 2018 Web.com Tour in greens hit en route to five top 10s, perhaps this is the year. Opened 2018-19 with top 40s at Silverado and the Country Club of Jackson. Martin Trainer … Assembled one of the strangest seasons on the Web.com Tour in 2018 in that he went just 9-for-21 with only four top 50s, but two were victories. He also ranked second in putting: birdies-or-better percentage and T12 in par-5 scoring. Given that all-or-nothing profile and no fear in going low — his 25-under 263 at the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr. Pepper in late July equaled a seven-year low in the tournament — he’s set up to be a recurring Sleeper in shootouts in his rookie season on the PGA TOUR.

Click here to read the full article…

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico – A sun-splashed Saturday provided a second straight day of golf at the Mayakoba Golf Classic. Now the challenge is how to finish it. Players will go off in threesomes and won’t be re-grouped after the third round in an attempt to play as many holes as possible at the rain-delayed tournament at El Camaleón Golf Club on Sunday. If necessary, play will resume at 7:30 a.m. ET Monday. RELATED: Leaderboard | Tee times | Henley misses cut after One Ball Rule violation The leader is Harris English, who won the 2014 Mayakoba Golf Classic. He knows what it takes. Then again, it’s been a while. He hasn’t won since. “It’s been a lot of ball-striking,â€� English said of his resurgence after a second-round 64 moved him to 13 under and one ahead of Vaughn Taylor (66). “Starting at the Greenbrier this year, I think I was top-10 in greens in regulation and that’s been a huge stat. “That’s what I did really well my first couple years on Tour,â€� he added, “and haven’t done so well in that the past couple seasons. But really worked with my coach, Justin Parsons, back home in Sea Island and really just doing what I did back in college and my first couple years on Tour.â€� Last season English was 147th in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green; this season he’s 21st. A four-time All-American at Georgia who turned pro in 2011, English immediately won once on the Korn Ferry Tour and twice on the PGA TOUR. So it was a surprise when his late 20s turned into a slog. His average finish in the FedExCup the last three seasons has been 131. He fell out of the top 200 in the world, and needed to go back to the Korn Ferry Tour Finals. Now, though, he’s back. He’s already posted three top-10 finishes in four starts this season. As always, Mayakoba has rewarded good ball-striking, and penalized wayward tee shots. The cut came with 82 players at 1-under 141 from a field of 131 professionals and one amateur. Rounds three and four will feature threesomes off tee Nos. 1 and 10 Sunday. English hopes to carry his early-season momentum to his third career TOUR win. “I think I missed two greens today,â€� he said after chipping in for birdie on his last hole, the 18th. “And if you do that every day out here, you’re going to take it deep.â€� Brendon Todd (68, 11 under, two back) is trying to win for the second time in as many starts after capturing the recent Bermuda Championship. Danny Lee (70), Adam Long (69) and Robby Shelton (66) are 10 under and three back. “I’m ready to keep going and go to one (tee) right now and start it up,â€� said Long, who birdied five of his last six holes and is aiming for his first win since The American Express last season. Although five of the top six players on the leaderboard are Americans, the crowd favorites have emerged with the golfing Ortiz brothers of Guadalajara. They are two of seven players representing Mexico in the field, and they are both playing well. Alvaro Ortiz, the Latin America Amateur winner who nearly won Low Amateur honors at The Masters Tournament and turned 24 yesterday, shot 67 to reach 9 under, just four off the lead. Big brother Carlos, 28, surged with a 65 to reach 8 under, five back. “We actually never played in a competitive tournament together,â€� Carlos said, “especially because of the age gap.â€� This has necessitated a delicate balancing act for their proud parents. “My dad was following my brother on the front nine,â€� Alvaro said. “I saw him on 17 and then he walked the back nine with me. Then my mom walked the front nine with me and walked the back nine with Carlos. It alternates, so it was nice that my brother was just two groups ahead of me and they can see both of us.â€� It’s a logistical challenge, but after copious rain scuttled the entire first round without a shot being hit Thursday, you could say the same for simply finishing the tournament.

Click here to read the full article…

Get the latest news and behind-the-scenes reports from the Masters 2018 at Augusta National Golf Club.

Click here to read the full article…