Tiger posts worst score of season in Round 2

Lee Westwood bagged five birdies on his back nine to storm to victory in the Nedbank Golf Challenge, his first title on the European Tour for four years.

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HOUSTON – Local amateur Cole Hammer, having just completed a 5-under 67 at the Houston Open that included eight birdies, immediately turned his attention to another big sports event in the city later in the evening. The decisive Game 5 between the Astros and the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL Division Series. “I’m going to do everything I can to try to get to the stadium,â€� Hammer said, “I think it’s going to be a great atmosphere. I’m a huge Astros fan, have been for as long as I can remember. I’m praying for tonight.â€� MORE ON HAMMER: When will it be time to turn pro? At least some of his prayers were answered a while later, as he was able to procure tickets to the game that would send the winner to the AL Championship Series against the New York Yankees. (Whether his prayers for an Astros win are answered would have to wait at least nine innings.) The 20-year-old Hammer, a University of Texas sophomore playing on a sponsor exemption this week, was impressive in his opening round Thursday after a shaky start. Starting his round off the 10th tee, he double-bogeyed the par-4 11th when he found the water with his tee shot. He immediately bounced back at the short par-4 12th, his pitch shot from 45 yards leaving him inside 5 feet for birdie. That was the first of eight in his round, as he became the eighth amateur since 1996 at a PGA TOUR event to record eight birdies in one round. Ty Tryon has the record of nine in the opening round of the 2001 B.C. Open. “Not a bad start in my book, that’s for sure,â€� Hammer said. Hammer hit just 6 of 14 fairways, but he leaned heavily on his putter to bail him out. He gained more than 4 strokes on the putting surface, the second-best performance in the field. Hammer is making just the second PGA TOUR start of his career. His first was at the 2015 U.S. Open when he qualified as a 15-year-old. He didn’t make the cut that week, but he’s in good shape to reach the weekend this time. “Feels like my first U.S. Open was so long ago,â€� Hammer said. “Yeah, I was a little bit nervous at the beginning of the round and then kind of settled down and was able to roll in some putts and it was a great start. Just what I wanted.â€� As it turned out, he also got the Astros tickets that he wanted. All in all, it was a pretty good day.

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Alex Noren (+275 for a Top 20) … Golf fans in the United States can be spoiled by international talent, specifically among the contingent that pulls double duty on the DP WORLD Tour. For every household name from Europe, there are many more who have tried once and haven’t returned. It’s even more challenging without picking off a PGA TOUR victory at some point, but the Swede has cracked the code. Now in his fifth consecutive season on this circuit, he’s all but desisted from jetting to his home continent for playing opportunities. It’s in part due to drifting outside the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking as the 2019-20 season began, but he’s also connected with consistently strong form. In a phrase, less is more. The 39-year-old now is creeping up on the top 50 once more (at 56th) thanks most recently five top 20s in his last 10 starts. He’s also cashed twice in three tries at Muirfield Village with a personal-best T13 last year. Lanto Griffin (+500 for a Top 20) … When you associate his surname to these parts, he’s not the Griffin who rushes to mind. In fact, he’d have to prevail probably in at least three consecutive editions of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday to begin to share even a fraction of a breath with the default reference to Archie Griffin. The former running back at Ohio State remains the only two-time winner of the Heisman Trophy (1974, 1975). But hey, Lanto didn’t pick that fight, and he’d be elated with even one title at Muirfield Village where he’s making his third straight appearance. He’s gathered momentum of late with a four-bagger that was sparked by a T15 in Mexico and a T6 in the testing conditions at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm. His skill set of improved play closer to the cup is in direct correlation to this week’s challenge. Pat Perez (+400 for a Top 20) … At 104th in the FedExCup, the 46-year-old is poised to qualify for the Playoffs for the 14th time in 15 opportunities. The only time he’s missed is when he sat out the last two-thirds of the 2015-16 season to recover from surgery on his left shoulder. He set up his latest chance with consecutive top 10s on the West Coast Swing where he’s always done damage, but he’s missed only two of 10 cuts since. Now he’s fresh off a stretch-best T12 at Colonial where he led the field in total distance of putts converted. Since 2008, he’s 10-for-10 with four top 25s at Muirfield Village. Stretching for a top 20 now is aggressive, so consider a complementary consideration for a top 40. C.T. Pan (+333 for a Top 20) … Although it can stretch beyond 7,500 yards, Muirfield Village is equal opportunity for all performers. One does not need to send it off the tee to contend, or even prevail, but the 30-year-old holds his own with the driver despite ranging to just 5’6”. He hasn’t sniffed the leaderboard in three prior appearances, but he hasn’t slammed his trunk – sorry, it’s 2022 – depressed the button on the key fob to lower the liftgate, either. Now, he’d have his hands full with the monster pair of par 4s to close out a final round for victory, but reduce your expectation for a top 40, anyway. Since finishing ninth at Riviera three months ago, he’s 8-for-9 with four top 40s and three others for which he was exactly one shot too many to finish inside that bubble. Danny Willett (+650 for a Top 20) … His membership exemption for winning the 2016 Masters expires in just two months, and he’s currently 155th in the FedExCup, so we’re going to learn, as will he, what the 34-year-old Englishman is made of with the clock ticking. Muirfield Village is positioned to help as he’s perfect in three trips with a scoring average of exactly 72 (that includes an 82 among the 12 rounds). He’s not quite simmering upon arrival but he’s cashed in eight of his last 10 starts worldwide, including a T12 at the Masters and a T16 at the British Masters that he hosted four weeks ago. Odds were sourced on Tuesday, May 31, 2022. For live odds, visit BetMGM.

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