News
5 things we learned on day two of the Charles Schwab Challenge
Comebacks play well across the swells of sports fandom. Give me a story on someone who battled through adversity, and I’ll eat it up. Comebacks offer hope at the same time they convince us that the immortals are momentarily, if unsustainably, mortal. Suspicion is that Thursday would be characterized by adrenaline rushes, at the thought of finally being back on the fairway. This worked well for some, not so well for others. Friday’s reaction to the rush was the crash. Rory McIlroy went 7 deep for 63, as two golfers did on Thursday.
5. Comeback 1: Harold Varner III
Harold Varner III made triple bogey at the 10th and bogey at the 18th. Fortunately for him, he started on inward half, so the entire front side offered a chance at redemption. Varner began his day with a tee shot to a bridge at the 10th. After a penalty drop and a succession of unfortunate slashes, he tapped in for a triple bogey and handed 3 shots back to Old Man Par. His calm was evident, as he notched birdies at 12, 13 and 16, to return to level for the day. The aforementioned bogey at the last (his 9th) offered two paths, and Varner found the proper one. He played the second nine in 5-under 30, thanks to 4 consecutive birdies from 4-7, and a 5th at the 9th. Varner missed makeable birdie putts (1o’ and 22′) at the 1st and 2nd, then made a mighty par save at the third. Buoyed by the effort, he reeled off birdie rolls of 31′, 3′, 3′ again, and 20′. He capped the day by knocking in a 10-foot putt for 3 at the 9th. Only a missed 30-foot putt at the 8th kept him from a six-birdie streak.
4. Comeback 2: Jordan Spieth
Forget macro-comebacks. Let’s focus on Jordan Spieth’s 2nd-round, micro-comeback for this moment. Like Varner III, Spieth started on the inward half. Unlike Varner, Spieth played it in 4 strokes below par. Birdies at 1 and 2 brought the 3-time major champion to 6 deep on the day, and 11-under for the week. His putter was on fire … until it wasn’t. Spieth 1-putted 2-jacked 3-jabbed 4-whacked the par four 3rd hole from 33 feet. 3 of those came from inside 3 feet. He then missed a 10-foot putt for par at the next, and was back to 8-under. His comeback was immediate. Spieth birdied 5 and 6 and finished the day on -5, and -10 overall. He’ll be paired with Varner III in Saturday’s final grouping.
3. How did Bryson get jacked?
This writer doesn’t know and doesn’t currently care. Why not? It would be the greatest ego move to get strong by abusing disallowed methods. It would be career damaging and reputation slaughtering. DeChambeau is most intelligent and quite upstanding. We’ll leave it at that. On Friday, The Big Bang Theory (yup, you may use it) went low with no damage. He scratched 5 birdies into the scorecard, and joined Spieth at -10, one behind Varner III. If you had promised us this trio at the top, heading into round three, we’d have asked for seconds.
2. Rory roaries
There was something special on that 10th tee this morning. Rory, like Jordan and HV3, teed off at numero diez and played a 7-under round, to work his way to -8. If it weren’t for the final hole of the day (#9), McIlroy would have reached 8-under 62 and, well, that’s it. The North Ulsterman posted three birdies heading out, then eagled the first and birdied the 2nd to reach -6 on the day. 2 more birdies, at 6 and 7, had him smiling from ear to ear. Alas, a wretched lie in the right-side rough on number nine compelled him to pitch out, shy of the water, and take his chances with his wedge. His pitch was nearly as wretched, leaving him nearly 50 feet from the hole. Like a boss, he calmly two-putted for bogey, and escaped major collateral damage.
1. More Predictions
Most likely to rip his pants on live television: DeChambeau. Let’s be honest, how do you size clothing to those muscles?
Most likely to do self-commentary: Justin Thomas. He’s two back and handles the mic pretty well.
Most likely to fade away: HV3. Sorry, Harold. Use it as motivation.
Most likely to rise on Saturday: Xander Schauffele. This guy smells blood like sharks smell blood, if sharks indeed smell.
Most likely to bounce back on Saturday: Justin Rose. Blah Friday of -1, so he needs a bounce-back on Saturday, or he might switch clubs again.
Most likely to wave the Maple Leaf: Corey Conners. This Canadian can play, and will be the next northern heartbreaker for our neighbors across the line.
Most likely to elicit “oh yeah, I remember him”: Peter Uihlein. Also, most likely to play Titleist.
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Morning 9: Rory: I’m not joining LIV | Masters ratings | Nelly: We just need a stage
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 RBC Heritage
GolfWRX is on site this week at Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island for the RBC Heritage. Plenty of golfers who competed in the Masters last week will be making the quick turnaround in the Lowcountry of South Carolina as the Heritage is again one of the Tour’s Signature Events.
We have general albums for you to check out, as well as plenty of WITBs — including Justin Thomas and Justin Rose.
We’ll continue to update as more photos flow in from SC.
Check out links to all our photos, below.
General Albums
- 2024 RBC Heritage – Monday #1
- 2024 RBC Heritage – Monday #2
- 2024 RBC Heritage – Tuesday #1
- 2024 RBC Heritage – Tuesday #2
WITB Albums
- Justin Thomas – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Justin Rose – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Chandler Phillips – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Nick Dunlap – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Thomas Detry – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Austin Eckroat – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Xander Schauffele – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Jason Day – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Will Zalatoris – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Patrick Cantlay – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Ludvig Aberg – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Collin Morikawa – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Sam Burns – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Stephen Jaeger – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
Pullout Albums
- Wyndham Clark’s Odyssey putter – 2024 RBC Heritage
- JT’s new Cameron putter – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Justin Thomas testing new Titleist 2 wood – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Cameron putters – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Odyssey putter with triple track alignment aid – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Scotty Cameron The Blk Box putting alignment aid/training aid – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Cameron putter – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Odyssey Ai One Eleven T putters – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Christian Bezuidenhout – testing new Callaway Ti 340 mini driver – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Rory McIlroy testing the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Xander Schauffele testing the Callaway Ti 340 mini driver & the DUW – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Byeong Hun An, two new L.A.B. Golf putter builds with “T” alignment – 2024 RBC Heritage
See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.
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Morning 9: Aberg: I want to be No. 1 | Rory’s management blasts ‘fake news’ reports
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Dirty D
Jun 12, 2020 at 11:02 pm
A note to GOLFWRX, I consider you very lucky to have this Ronald character.