The first-round chief in a golf event tends to fade each every now and then, however not typically do they miss out on the weekend totally. That’s precisely what occurred to Jordan Spieth on the 2023 Sony Open. After sharing the lead with Chris Kirk and Taylor Montgomery in Round 1 with a 6-under 64, Spieith signed for a 5-over 75 in his second spherical. Missing the cut by a single stroke, Spieth basically predicted his personal demise following the primary spherical.
“I believe I can shoot 5 or 6 under each day out here,” Spieth stated on Thursday. “Not to say that that means it’ll happen, but there are other times I would be sitting there going, ‘How do I hold this sh-t together,’ to be honest. Seriously.”
He could not preserve it collectively sufficient on Friday, and within the course of joined a brief listing of gamers to plummet from the highest of the leaderboard over the course of 1 spherical. Spieth turned the tenth man since 2010 (and second within the final 4 years) to overlook the cut after holding the first-round lead. As a consequence, he’ll take his RV again to the mainland United States the place he’ll tee it up subsequent.
In his place, Chris Kirk has emerged because the solo chief on the 36-hole mark. Standing at 11 underneath, the previous Georgia Bulldog holds a slim lead over J.J. Spaun and Taylor Montgomery at 10 underneath. With a variety of unproven gamers within the chasing pack, a life-changing alternative to enter the winner’s circle has emerged at Waialae Country Club.
The chief
1. Chris Kirk (-11)
Three years in the past, Kirk was preventing for his job on the Sony Open. In want of a T3 end or higher, Kirk delivered within the clutch by making birdie on the 72nd gap to safe a T2 consequence and retaining his PGA Tour card. With a model new perspective on life, Kirk is now in place to snag his first Tour title in 2,791 days.
“I don’t know if it helps or not, but it definitely helps when I get done playing,” stated Kirk on discovering peace in his sport. “I am able to not judge myself for who I am as a professional golfer. I am able to have my life as a person and my life as professional golfer are two completely independent things.Â
“I’m able to get up day-after-day and know that I’m doing the fitting issues, that I’m working arduous, that I really like my household and I’m doing one of the best for them and that every one that actually issues,” he continued. “Whether you shoot 65 or 75 — you realize the 65’s are much more enjoyable, I’m not going to lie — however it simply places every thing into the fitting perspective.”
Other contenders
T2. Taylor Montgomery, J.J. Spaun (-10)
T4. Hayden Buckley, David Lipsky (-9)
T6. Ben Taylor, Austin Eckroat, S.H. Kim (-8)
T9. Denny McCarthy, Stephan Jaegar, J.T. Poston, Brendon Todd, Ben Griffin, Maverick McNealy (-7)
Through the primary 10 occasions of the 2022-23 PGA Tour season, there has solely been one first-time winner: Adam Svensson on the RSM Classic. With titans like Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy and Tom Kim all successful up to now, the dearth of massive names this weekend will current a golden probability for a budding star to vary the trajectory of his profession.
There are 10 winless opponents at present inside the highest 15, all of whom will take their crack at elevating their first trophy. Winning on the PGA Tour shouldn’t be straightforward, and Rookie of the Year entrance runner Taylor Montgomery put into context simply how good these guys actually are in a humorous, self-depreciating means after his second spherical.
“I would say yesterday’s round [was more enjoyable] just because, I mean, I felt like I hit my irons really good,” stated Montgomery. “Then I looked at the strokes gained approach and I was like dead even. I’m like, how good are these damn guys with their irons? Like I don’t know. Just an area that I really want to improve … like I think I was 80th and I felt like I hit my irons awesome.”
South Korean stars despatched packing early
While Spieth’s demise was extra public and a little bit of a rollercoaster to say the least, he was not the one favourite to fall in need of expectations. The two males who occupied the highest two spots on the percentages board to start the week won’t be round for the weekend, both. Young superstars Tom Kim and Sungjae Im have been unable to get the ball rolling at Waialae CC and finally missed the cut of their second begins of the brand new yr.
For Kim, that is his first missed cut for the reason that PGA Championship final May and his first missed cut as a full-time member of the PGA Tour. As for Im, this represents solely his fourth missed cut within the final 25 worldwide begins. Both gamers will look to bounce again rapidly at subsequent week’s The American Express in Palm Springs.
2023 Sony Open up to date odds and picks
Odds through Caesars Sportsbook
- Taylor Montgomery: 4-1
- Chris Kirk: 9/2
- J.J. Spaun: 11/2
- Hayden Buckley: 12-1
- David Lipsky: 16-1
- J.T. Poston: 18-1
- Maverick McNealy: 22-1
- Denny McCarthy: 30-1
- S.H. Kim: 35-1
- Brendon Todd: 35-1
- Ben Taylor: 35-1
- Stephan Jaegar: 35-1
There is definitely some unknown with the names listed above. Only Kirk, Spaun, Poston and Todd have received on the PGA Tour earlier than, two of these names pique my curiosity. I’ve been eager on Spaun from the beginning of the week, and if not for an errant tee shot on the par-5 ninth, he could be main this golf event. He stays a good value — as does Poston, who seems to be in kind to make a weekend run from 4 strokes again.
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