TOMMY FLEETWOOD PITCHES TO THE SIXTH GREEN DURING THE 2021 ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP IMAGE BY MATT HOOPER
13 MARCH, 2022 - SHANK MEDIA, BY MATT HOOPER: THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP FINALLY RESUMED ON SATURDAY AFTER TORRENTIAL RAIN AND A STORM WITH FORECAST WINDS OF 60 MILES PER HOUR SWEPT THROUGH NORTH EAST FLORIDA, AND WHEN THE BEST IN THE WORLD DID RETURN TO THE PLAYERS' STADIUM COURSE AT TPC SAWGRASS THEY WERE TESTED SEVERELY ON WHAT WILL BE ONE OF THE TOUGHEST DAYS THEY FACE ALL SEASON.
AT THE START OF THE THIRD DAY'S PLAY, AND THE CONTINUATION OF THE FIRST ROUND, THERE WERE SOME 79 PLAYERS UNDER PAR FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP, TONIGHT AS DARKNESS FALLS OVER SAWGRASS, THERE ARE 54 REMAINING UNDER PAR WITH ALL OF THEM WITHIN 5 SHOTS OF THE LEADERS TOMMY FLEETWOOD AND TOM HOGE.
9 GROUPS DID NOT BEGIN THEIR SECOND ROUND AND WILL DO SO EARLY ON SUNDAY MORNING, WITH PLAY RESUMING IN THE SECOND ROUND AT 8.15AM LOCAL TIME (12.15PM GMT).
THE CONDITIONS WERE TRICKY FROM THE VERY START, WITH GUSTING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 30 MPH WHISTLING AROUND THE STADIUM COURSE AND MADE CLUBBING SHOTS PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT, THIS WAS NEVER MORE EVIDENT THAN AT THE 17TH AND 18TH HOLES WHERE XANDER SCHAUFFELE, SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER AND BROOKS KOEPKA ALL FOUND THE WATER AT THE PENULTIMATE HOLE IN THEIR FIRST ROUND. KOEPKA AND SCHEFFLER ALSO SPLASH-LANDED IN THE SECOND ROUND, EFFECTIVELY ENDING THEIR HOPES OF VICTORY AT TPC.
THIS ILLUSTRIOUS TRIO WERE 3 OF MANY WHO FOUND THE WATER AT 17, WITH 27 BALLS GETTING WET ON THE THIRD DAY, CONTRASTING MARKEDLY FROM THE FIRST TWO DAYS, WHERE JUST 4 PLAYERS FOUND THE WATER OFF THE TEE. BUT THE TROUBLE DIDN'T END AT 17 FOR THE PLAYERS, IF ANYTHING, 18 WAS EVEN TOUGHER, WITH OLYMPIC CHAMPION XANDER SCHAUFFELE MAKING A QUADRUPLE-BOGEY 8 TO FALL OUT OF A TIE FOR 9TH INTO A TIE FOR 90TH PLACE.
THE FIELD WERE A COMBINED 282-OVER-PAR ON SATURDAY AND THE AVERAGE SCORE WAS 75.38.
AT THE START OF THE THIRD DAY'S PLAY, AND THE CONTINUATION OF THE FIRST ROUND, THERE WERE SOME 79 PLAYERS UNDER PAR FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP, TONIGHT AS DARKNESS FALLS OVER SAWGRASS, THERE ARE 54 REMAINING UNDER PAR WITH ALL OF THEM WITHIN 5 SHOTS OF THE LEADERS TOMMY FLEETWOOD AND TOM HOGE.
9 GROUPS DID NOT BEGIN THEIR SECOND ROUND AND WILL DO SO EARLY ON SUNDAY MORNING, WITH PLAY RESUMING IN THE SECOND ROUND AT 8.15AM LOCAL TIME (12.15PM GMT).
THE CONDITIONS WERE TRICKY FROM THE VERY START, WITH GUSTING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 30 MPH WHISTLING AROUND THE STADIUM COURSE AND MADE CLUBBING SHOTS PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT, THIS WAS NEVER MORE EVIDENT THAN AT THE 17TH AND 18TH HOLES WHERE XANDER SCHAUFFELE, SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER AND BROOKS KOEPKA ALL FOUND THE WATER AT THE PENULTIMATE HOLE IN THEIR FIRST ROUND. KOEPKA AND SCHEFFLER ALSO SPLASH-LANDED IN THE SECOND ROUND, EFFECTIVELY ENDING THEIR HOPES OF VICTORY AT TPC.
THIS ILLUSTRIOUS TRIO WERE 3 OF MANY WHO FOUND THE WATER AT 17, WITH 27 BALLS GETTING WET ON THE THIRD DAY, CONTRASTING MARKEDLY FROM THE FIRST TWO DAYS, WHERE JUST 4 PLAYERS FOUND THE WATER OFF THE TEE. BUT THE TROUBLE DIDN'T END AT 17 FOR THE PLAYERS, IF ANYTHING, 18 WAS EVEN TOUGHER, WITH OLYMPIC CHAMPION XANDER SCHAUFFELE MAKING A QUADRUPLE-BOGEY 8 TO FALL OUT OF A TIE FOR 9TH INTO A TIE FOR 90TH PLACE.
THE FIELD WERE A COMBINED 282-OVER-PAR ON SATURDAY AND THE AVERAGE SCORE WAS 75.38.
TWO PLAYERS WHO PRODUCED SEEMINGLY SUPER-HUMAN PERFORMANCES WERE DEFENDING CHAMPION JUSTIN THOMAS AND BUBBA WATSON, BOTH MADE IT ROUND WITHOUT MAKING A BOGEY, WITH THOMAS MAKING 3 BIRDIES AND THE 2-TIME MASTERS CHAMPION WATSON MAKING 4. BOTH PLAYERS SAID IN THEIR POST-ROUND INTERVIEWS ON SKY SPORTS THAT IT WAS AMONG THEIR BEST EVER ROUNDS.
RORY MCILROY FACES AN ANXIOUS WAIT TO SEE IF HE WILL MAKE THE CUT AFTER TWO ROUNDS OF 73 LEFT HIM AT +2 FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP, CURRENTLY 2 OUTSIDE THE CUT MARK, BUT MOST FEEL IT WILL MOVE TOWARDS +1, WHETHER IT MOVES OUT TO +2 IS QUESTIONABLE. THE 2019 PLAYERS CHAMPION MAY RUE FINDING THE WATER OFF THE TEE AT THE PAR FOUR SEVENTH HOLE, WHICH RESULTED IN A DOUBLE-BOGEY.
TOMMY FLEETWOOD HOLDS A SHARE OF THE LEAD AFTER MAKING A BIRDIE AND A B0GEY IN HIS FIRST THREE HOLES, AND WILL RESUME HIS SECOND ROUND WITH A TREACHEROUS SHOT FROM ROUGH AT THE FOURTH ON SUNDAY MORNING.
SHANK WILL HAVE A REPORT TOMORROW EVENING (APPROX 5PM GMT) AND A REPORT FOLLOWING THE CONCLUSION OF PLAY ON SUNDAY (APPROX 10PM), THEN ON MONDAY WE WILL HAVE A REPORT FOLLOWING THE CONCLUSION OF ROUND THREE AND UPDATES FROM THE FINAL ROUND ON TWITTER, FOLLOWED BY A POST-TOURNAMENT REPORT, ALL ON SHANKMEDIA.CO.UK/GOLF.
RORY MCILROY FACES AN ANXIOUS WAIT TO SEE IF HE WILL MAKE THE CUT AFTER TWO ROUNDS OF 73 LEFT HIM AT +2 FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP, CURRENTLY 2 OUTSIDE THE CUT MARK, BUT MOST FEEL IT WILL MOVE TOWARDS +1, WHETHER IT MOVES OUT TO +2 IS QUESTIONABLE. THE 2019 PLAYERS CHAMPION MAY RUE FINDING THE WATER OFF THE TEE AT THE PAR FOUR SEVENTH HOLE, WHICH RESULTED IN A DOUBLE-BOGEY.
TOMMY FLEETWOOD HOLDS A SHARE OF THE LEAD AFTER MAKING A BIRDIE AND A B0GEY IN HIS FIRST THREE HOLES, AND WILL RESUME HIS SECOND ROUND WITH A TREACHEROUS SHOT FROM ROUGH AT THE FOURTH ON SUNDAY MORNING.
SHANK WILL HAVE A REPORT TOMORROW EVENING (APPROX 5PM GMT) AND A REPORT FOLLOWING THE CONCLUSION OF PLAY ON SUNDAY (APPROX 10PM), THEN ON MONDAY WE WILL HAVE A REPORT FOLLOWING THE CONCLUSION OF ROUND THREE AND UPDATES FROM THE FINAL ROUND ON TWITTER, FOLLOWED BY A POST-TOURNAMENT REPORT, ALL ON SHANKMEDIA.CO.UK/GOLF.
