Canada’s Adam Hadwin hungry for more after tie for second at Desert Classic
Adam Hadwin’s tie for second at the Desert Classic this past weekend gave him his third top-10 result of the young 2018-19 season, helped him break US$1 million in earnings on the campaign and moved him up to 13th in the FedEx Cup standings.
But as far as the Canadian golfer is concerned, it’s just not enough.
“Honestly, it’s not something I’m even paying attention to,” said Hadwin on Monday. “It’s way too early in the season to even worry about (the FedEx Cup standings). If I’m 13th going into August, then I’ll say this is an incredible accomplishment and that sort of thing.
“I just have to keep working hard. Yes, it’s a nice position to be in, but I’m after bigger things. I’ll just stay focused on playing good golf and whether or not it lines up, we’ll see.”
Hadwin, from Abbotsford, B.C., led for most of the final round, playing in a trio with Adam Long and all-time great Phil Mickelson on Sunday in La Quinta, Calif. Although Hadwin shot a 5-under 67 on the day, Long roared through the back nine to win the tournament with a birdie putt on the 18th hole. By any stretch, it was a successful week for the Canadian, who shot a 65, 66 and 65 to put himself in contention on the final day of play.
Still, Hadwin came into 2019 looking to add to his one career PGA Tour win, which came on March 12, 2017 at the Valspar Championship.
“I came out this year pretty hungry to get better,” said Hadwin. “This is a Presidents Cup year and I knew I was going to have to do some good things again to get myself back on the team. I’m not currently qualified for any of the majors or the (World Golf Championships) like I was the previous years.
“I want to earn my spot back into those and play the schedule that I played last year. It’s nice to play well, certainly, and it’s encouraging, but that Presidents Cup and the majors is what’s motivating me right now.”
Hadwin had five birdies on the front nine on the 7,113-yard Stadium Course at La Quinta Resort & Club and added a sixth birdie on No. 11. But a bogey on the 13th hole and putts that were inches short on 14 and 15 allowed Long and Mickelson to reel him in as Hadwin made par the last five holes.
Despite having a solid round of golf, Hadwin admitted that his nerves may have gotten the best of him. He shot a 13-under 59 in the third round of the 2017 edition of the Desert Classic, when he also finished second, and that was on his mind as he closed in on the 18th hole Sunday.
“The previous finishes that I’ve had in that event, that might have added a little bit more pressure too because I’ve been so close the previous years, that I had a good chance at closing it out this year,” said Hadwin, who also tied for third at the event in 2018. “Just didn’t get it done. You learn from that.
“Every time I’m in that situation, I get more and more comfortable in it. Sometimes I pull the shots off and sometimes I don’t. Just gotta keep working hard and it’s got to pay off eventually.”
Hadwin will miss the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Golf Club in San Diego to rest for a week before playing in the Waste Management Phoenix Open in Arizona that starts on Jan. 31. He’s also scheduled to play in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in Pebble Beach, Calif., starting Feb. 7 and the Genesis Open at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif., which begins Feb. 14.
Thank you for all of the support. Had a ton of fun battling it out with @PhilMickelson and @aLongShot on Sunday. Looking forward to the rest of the west coast swing!
— adam hadwin (@ahadwingolf) January 22, 2019
Emiliano Grillo signs multi-year deal with Levelwear
Canadian apparel brand Levelwear is pleased to announce the addition of Top 50 golfer in the World, Emiliano Grillo to their growing stable of PGA Tour athletes. The multi-year agreement will see Grillo wear Levelwear’s premium collection of polos, pullovers, and pants while competing on the PGA Tour alongside fellow ambassadors Adam Hadwin, Corey Conners and Ted Potter Jr.
Discussing the new partnership, Grillo said “I saw other Tour players wearing the product and always thought it was very sharp. In the off season, I had the chance to review a number of opportunities and the Levelwear product stood out the most. The product fits me very well and is extremely comfortable to play in no matter the conditions. They have engineered a lot of performance features and styling into the product that I am really enjoying and that I know will assist in elevating my game this year. I am very excited to partner with Levelwear as we both look to achieve new heights in 2019 and beyond.”
This signing signifies the rapid assention to the upper echelon of the golf apparel landscape for Levelwear. Along with newly formed relationships with the PGA Tour, the PGA of America, Golf Canada and sponsorships of several top events on Tour like the newly established Rocket Mortgage Classic, The RBC Canadian Open, among others, Levelwear will have a retail presence at roughly 23 PGA Tour events this season including 2 Majors. Additionally Levelwear maintains strong retail relationships with roughly 75 of the top 100 golf clubs throughout North America and can be found at top clubs and resorts from coast to coast.
Levelwear President, Hilton Ngo remarked “Emiliano is an athlete that we see aligning perfectly with the direction of the Levelwear brand. He is young, athletic, wears the product beautifully and his world-class game and exciting personality makes him one of the most electrifying players to watch week in and week out. When we engaged his team about the potential partnership it was clear that he was the right guy for us and we couldn’t be more excited to have him as part of the team for years to come.”
Grillo, who was the 2016 Rookie of the Year on the PGA Tour, and who represented his home country of Argentina in the Olympics the same year now enters his 4th full season on the PGA Tour. Coming off of a solid 2018 campaign that saw him earn 8 top-10 finishes in 27 events while only missing 2 cuts, he is poised to make the 2019 season his best yet. Already starting the year with runner up finishes at the CIMB Classic and QBE shootout with partner Graham McDowell, Grillo will be looking to add to his 3 professional win total in 2019. His premiere schedule will see him compete in the best events and against the best players every time he tees it up and as a top 50 Player in the Official World Golf Rankings, he has secured his invitation to the 2019 Masters. Grillo will debut the 2019 Levelwear collection at this week’s Farmers Insurance Open
Levelwear has established enduring business verticals in licensed and team sports, golf apparel, and men’s and women’s lifestyle wear, with core strengths of innovation, decoration, and industry leading service. The company holds licensing partnerships with some of the top global brands, including the NHL and NHLPA, NBA, CFL, AAF, 140 US Colleges, and various soccer properties (Bayern Munich, Paris St. Germain, Juventus, Celtics, Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham, etc.) globally. At the PGA Merchandising Show in Orlando later this month, Levelwear will unveiled its 2019 collection and their new Swiss fabric technology Smart Temp which is a dynamic cooling system of advanced moisture management triggered by body heat. For more information, please visit www.levelwear.com.
Henderson, Hadwin, Rank and Lee named GJAC’s 2018 POY
TORONTO – Brooke Henderson’s two LPGA Tour victories in 2018, including her historic win on home soil at the CP Women’s Open, earned her two additional honours to add to her rapidly-expanding resumé.
The Golf Journalists Association of Canada (GJAC) has announced Henderson, Adam Hadwin, Garrett Rank and Jaclyn Lee as its 2018 Players of the Year as voted by GJAC members across the country. Henderson’s victory at the national open, the first by a Canadian in 45 years, was also voted Canadian Golf Story of the Year by an overwhelming margin.
“GJAC is thrilled to honour these outstanding players and highlight their remarkable accomplishments in the game in 2018,” said David McPherson, GJAC President. “Canadian players continue to produce incredible results at every level of the game and write stories with their achievements that captivate fans from across the country and beyond.”
Henderson’s triumph at Wascana Country Club in Regina, Sask., which was punctuated by a 72nd hole birdie to give her a four-stroke win over American Angel Yin, was the second win of a two-victory season (her other title came four months earlier at the Lotte Championship) that propelled her to a runner-up finish in the Race to the CME Globe. The 21-year old’s seven LPGA wins put her one title behind Mike Weir, George Knudson and Sandra Post for most all-time by a Canadian professional.
Adam Hadwin was named Male Professional of the Year after continuing his ascendancy as one of the world’s premier players, notching 10 top-25 results for the 2017-18 PGA TOUR season and finishing 36thin the FedExCup Standings. He and fellow Abbotsford, British Columbia product Nick Taylor also lifted Canada to a T4 finish at the World Cup of Golf, the nation’s best finish at the event since 1985.
Calgary’s Jaclyn Lee earned honours as Female Amateur of the Year after a standout season that culminated with a sixth-place finish at the LPGA’s Q-Series, earning her a tour card for her first professional season in 2019. The former Golf Canada National Amateur Team and Ohio State standout had a strong final season as an amateur, reaching the semifinals of the Ladies British Open Amateur Championship and the quarterfinals of the U.S. Women’s Amateur.
Finally, Elmira, Ontario’s Garrett Rank earned Male Amateur of the Year honours after a remarkable run that included qualifying for the U.S. Open – earning the NHL Referee widespread attention and media coverage – and victories at the Ontario Mid-Amateur and Ontario Amateur, along with top-three results at the Canadian Amateur and Canadian Mid-Amateur.
Bob Vokey introduces SM7 wedges in new slate blue finish
The best performing wedges in the game – Vokey SM7 –are now available in a stunning Slate Blue finish.
For years, Master Craftsman Bob Vokey has stressed the importance of players having confidence in their wedge at address – “A player has to love their wedge when they look down at it” – and finish plays a key role.
The finish on Vokey SM7 Slate Blue wedges, available in Canadian golf shops and through Vokey.com beginning February 15, is applied like a PVD finish but with a unique material and more time intensive process that in combination provide a deep, rich slate blue color that is extremely durable.
“Very often wedge finishes can be beautiful, but they won’t last,” Vokey said. “At the same time, the most durable finishes often aren’t stunning. Slate Blue combines the two. Not only will golfers love their wedge when they see it in the shop, the finish will last through the course of normal play.”
Consistent with all Vokey SM7 finishes, Slate Blue is available in all 23 loft, bounce, and grind options (both RH and LH), while supplies last. This exemplifies the Vokey Design commitment to fitting. Finding the proper loft gapping, bounce and grind are critical to execute all of the necessary wedge shots. For help determining the right loft, bounce and grind, golfers can use the Wedge Selector tool.
Vokey SM7 models are also available in Tour Chrome, Brushed Steel and Jet Black finishes.
Vokey SM7 Slate Blue wedges will be available in golf shops beginning Feb. 15.
Click here for more information.
Henderson closes LPGA opener with tie for sixth
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Eun-Hee Ji of South Korea left the mistakes to everyone else down the stretch in the LPGA Tour season opener.
Ji managed a strong wind and temperatures in the 50s on Sunday by making three birdies on the back nine to pull away and close with a 1-under 70, giving her a two-shot victory in the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions.
Ji got her mistakes out of the way early, opening with two bogeys to fall behind Lydia Ko. The 32-year-old South Korean took the lead for good with a birdie on the 10th hole at Tranquilo Golf Club at Four Seasons, and she stayed in front the rest of the way.
“It was a little bit chilly for me today. My body was a little bit tight on first tee, so I just pulled a little bit, and I made a bogey,” she said. “I made a bogey again second hole. I was like, ‘OK, wait a minute. I need to play this.’ But I have like 16 more holes, and I just trust my swing after that.”
Ko was one shot behind when she pulled her tee shot on the par-5 13th and never found it, and then compounded the error with a three-putt for a double bogey. Ko made double bogey on the closing hole for a 42 on the back nine and a 77.
Ji finished at 14-under 270 to win by two over Mirim Lee, who made only one bogey in her round of 68. Nelly Korda (71) finished third.
“I just enjoyed my game with my celebrity partners,” Ji said. “It makes it more fun and I relaxed more. So I didn’t get nervous.”
Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., started the day a shot behind the leaders but struggled on Sunday, shooting a 4-over 75 on the round. That put her into a tie with Stacy Lewis for sixth at 8 under for the tournament.
“I actually hit it great today,” said Henderson.
“I gave myself a lot of great opportunities and just the putter, you know, wasn’t working, which sort of sucks. But overall I feel like I hit it really well and I battled, which is nice.”
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The LPGA opener was limited to winners over the last two seasons. It also included a celebrity field of athletes and entertainers who competed for a $500,000 purse using the modified Stableford scoring system.
Former Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz had 33 points in the final round for a three-point victory over former pitcher Mark Mulder. Smoltz was busy doing math with the Stableford system, trying to hold on for the victory.
“I played really defensively knowing I could get two points for par,” Smoltz said. “I never thought the bogey I made at 17 would be the difference.”
Lewis, in her first competition as a mother, shot 70 and tied for sixth.
Ariya Jutanugarn, the No. 1 player in women’s golf who captured every major award last year, went into the weekend two shots out of the lead and closed with a pair of 75s to tie for 18th. Her sister, Moriya Jutanugarn, managed a bogey-free round for a 69 to tie for fourth with Shanshan Feng (70).
Ko says her problems on the 13th started with thinking she had to hammer her tee shot.
No one could find it in the marsh area left of the fairway, though Ko was at least consoled to see “like a million balls in there, so it makes me feel better that I wasn’t the only one that hit there.”
She hit another tee shot and easily carried the bunker, and then hit a stock 3-wood onto the green.
“I was like, ‘Well, that was stupid.’ Because I could have just hit a normal driver, and I probably wouldn’t have duck-hooked it and it would still be able to be in play,” Ko said. “I guess there’s moments I thought it was necessary, but then it wasn’t. But, hey, you’re always going to have some of these failures along the way.”
The LPGA is now off for two weeks before resuming in Australia for the Vic Open. The tour returns to the United States on March 21-24 for the Founders Cup in Arizona.
Canadian Adam Hadwin finishes tied for second at Desert Classic
LA QUINTA, Calif. – Adam Long bounced around golf’s backwoods for years, winning only a lone Hooters Tour event. Now, he’s headed to the Masters as a PGA Tour winner.
Long won the Desert Classic on Sunday at PGA West, beating Hall of Famer Phil Mickelson and Canadian Adam Hadwin by a stroke with a 14-foot birdie putt on the final hole after a 6-iron approach from an awkward stance.
“In some ways it’s been a little bit of a roller-coaster, but it’s been a steady improvement throughout my career,” Long said. “I’ve played in pretty much most tours around the world that there are and just kind of steadily progressed.
“It kind of can seem like it came out of nowhere, but my game’s been trending in the right direction for really the last two years now.”
Long closed with a 7-under 65 on the Stadium Course, holing the winning putt after Mickelson’s 40-foot birdie try curled left at the end.
“I got a pretty good read off Phil’s putt,” Long said. “It was one of those putts that you just stand over you just know you’re going to make. And you can’t control that, but when you have that feeling it’s a good one. I’m in pretty disbelief right now. I don’t really know what happened.”
Mickelson, the leader after each of the first three rounds, shot 69.
“I had a terrible putting day – one of the worst I can recall in a while,” Mickelson said. “Started right on the first hole with a little 4-footer uphill and three-putting that green. And I missed a bunch of short ones on the front and some birdie opportunities, but it felt awful with the putter. I hit a lot of good shots today, but just couldn’t get the ball to go in the hole.”
Long set up with the winning putt with the 6-iron approach from 175 yards with the ball below his feet in dormant grass on a mound to the right of the fairway.
The 31-year-old former Duke player earned his PGA Tour card with a 13th-place finish last year on the Web.com Tour’s regular-season money list. In five previous PGA Tour starts, he had made only one cut – a tie for 63rd in October in the Safeway Open.
Hadwin, from Abbotsford, B.C., finished with a 67, losing a three-stroke lead on the back nine.
“It’s golf,” Hadwin said. “I made a bunch of putts all week and then honestly I was kind of battling it a little bit swing-wise, didn’t quite have it like I did the first three days. … It just kind of flat-lined on me there in the last few.”
The Canadian had his fourth straight top-six finish in the event. He was second in 2017 after a third-round 59 at La Quinta Country Club and tied for third last year.
Strong effort from #TeamRBC‘s @ahadwingolf down the stretch @Desert_Classic with a T2 finish! We have a feeling 2019 is going to be a good one ??⛳️ pic.twitter.com/Mg5Y25VQdZ
— RBC Canadian Open (@RBCCanadianOpen) January 21, 2019
Long finished at 26-under 262 and earned $1,062,000. He chipped in twice on the back nine to remain in contention.
“Those chip-ins were huge and some putts on the front nine as well to just kind of hang in there,” Long said,
He opened with a 63 on PGA West’s Nicklaus Tournament Course, shot 71 on Friday at the Stadium layout and had another 63 on Saturday at La Quinta to get into the final group with Mickelson and Hadwin.
“It was a huge thrill to play with Phil,” Long said. “I looked up to him my whole life and big fan of his and he couldn’t have been greater to me out there and he was awesome to play with, a lot of fun.”
The 48-year-old Mickelson was making his first tour start since the Safeway and first competitive appearance since beating Tiger Woods in Las Vegas in November in a made-for-TV event.
Adam Hadwin (Getty Images)
Mickelson entered the day two strokes ahead of Hadwin and three ahead of Long. The tournament winner in 2002 and 2004, Lefty matched his career-low score with an opening 60 at La Quinta.
“It’s a weird game how sometimes if you haven’t played for a while it just can click and come right back,” Mickelson said. “But usually you need a little bit of a foundation there coming down the stretch. When you get to feel the pressure you need to have that foundation of practice and seeing the shots that you want to hit, seeing the ball go in on the greens and so forth and I didn’t really have that today.”
Talor Gooch was fourth at 24 under after a 64, Dominic Bozzelli followed at 22 under after a 66, and Jon Rahm, the 2018 winner, shot 67 to get to 21 under.
Top-ranked Justin Rose closed with a 70 to tie for 34th at 14 under. He’s the first No. 1 player to play the tournament since the world ranking began in 1986.
Canadians Roger Sloan (Merritt, B.C.) and Adam Svensson (Surrey, B.C.) finished inside the top 20 at T12 and T18, respectively. Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., rounded out the Canadians in action with a share of 40th.
Mickelson holds 2-shot lead on Canada’s Hadwin in Desert Classic
LA QUINTA, Calif. – Phil Mickelson made three long birdie putts on the back nine Saturday to take a two-stroke lead on Canadian Adam Hadwin into the final round of the Desert Classic.
Making his first start of the year, the 48-year-old Mickelson shot a bogey-free 6-under 66 on the Stadium Course at PGA West to get to 22-under 194.
“I don’t know what to say,” Mickelson said. “I played OK and my goal or game plan of playing the Stadium Course is to actually hit drivers and to try to bomb it down there as close to the greens as you can. … It seemed to play out OK and I gave myself a lot of good chances. I missed a few short putts … but I also made a couple of long ones that were nice little bonuses.”
He topped the leaderboard for the third straight day after matching his career-low score with an opening 60 at La Quinta Country Club and shooting a 68 on Friday on PGA West’s Nicklaus Tournament Course.
“It’s so fun,” Mickelson said. “I just love being in contention, having a chance to win, being in the final group, feeling the nerves, feeling that excitement, the opportunity. It’s just, it’s really fun.”
The tournament winner in 2002 and 2004, Lefty rolled in a 35-foot birdie putt on the par-3 13th and added a 12-footer on the par-4 14th. After missing a 10-foot try on the par-5 16th to spoil an up-and-down bid from the deep greenside bunker, he ran in a 25-footer on the island green, par-3 17th called Alcatraz.
Hadwin, of Abbotsford, B.C., was second after a 65 on the Nicklaus layout. The Canadian has three straight top-six finishes in the event. He was second in 2017 after a third-round 59 at La Quinta and tied for third last year.
“Living in Phoenix these past few years, this is the golf that I play every day,” Hadwin said. “The greens are exactly what we play back in Scottsdale. So I would assume that might add to some of the comfort. It’s really hard to pinpoint. For whatever reason as soon as I get down here in the desert I start playing some good golf.”
Mickelson is making his first tour start since early October and first competitive appearance since beating Tiger Woods in Las Vegas in November in a made-for-TV event. The Hall of Famer won the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship last year for his 43rd PGA Tour title and first since the 2013 British Open.
After opening with five straight pars, he chipped in for birdie on the par-3 sixth and birdied the next two.
“Every once in a while you just need that little putt, chip, something to fall and give you a little momentum,” Mickelson said.
“I followed that with two more birdies, so that was kind of the shot that ignited that little run and got the round going.”
He’ll be back on the Stadium Course for the final round.
“It’s a course you don’t have to be perfect on, you have to hit a lot of good shots in certain spots, but if you miss it, miss it properly, you can still play this course,” Mickelson said. “I feel like I don’t have to be perfect, I can come out, play aggressive, which is how I like to play, try to crush drivers and get it down as close as I can to the greens and see if I can make some more birdies.”
Adam Long was third at 19 under after a 63 at La Quinta, and Steve Marino had a 67 on the Nicklaus layout to get to 18 under.
Defending champion Jon Rahm was tied for seventh at 16 under after a 68 at the Stadium.
Top-ranked Justin Rose was tied for 29th at 12 under after his third straight 68, this time on the Stadium Course. He’s the first No. 1 player to play the tournament since the world ranking began in 1986.
Henderson has historic win in sights at LPGA opener
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Lydia Ko could only think about the putts that didn’t go in, perhaps because she was used to making so many.
Ko ran off four birdies on the front nine Saturday for a 30, and it was enough to carry her to a 5-under 66 and a share of the lead with Eun-Hee Ji going into the final round of the season-opening Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions on the LPGA Tour.
Ji also was hot early, and a pair of birdies early on the back nine gave her a 66.
They were at 13-under 200.
But the big story for Canadian golf is Brooke Henderson. The Smith Falls, Ont., native was poised to make it a three-way tie at the top until she made bogey on the par-3 closing hole for a 69, leaving her one shot behind.
“Hopefully things go my way, but it’s really cool to be in this position going into Sunday,” said Henderson.
“I feel like I have a positive things to take. Hopefully, do something similar tomorrow and hopefully the putts will drop.”
With seven LPGA victories, Henderson entered 2019 one back of the all-time win record by Canadian professionals held by Mike Weir, George Knudson and Sandra Post. She’d tie the record with a win Sunday.
The LPGA Tour season opener is limited to winners each of the last two seasons for a $1.2 million purse. It also includes a 49-player field of celebrities and athletes competing for a $500,000 purse. Former Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz had 39 points in the modified Stableford format, giving him a four-point lead over retired pitcher Mark Mulder. Mardy Fish from the world of tennis was five points behind.
There are eight different countries in the top-10 heading into Sunday’s final round of the #DiamondLPGA.
Lydia Ko and Eun-Hee Ji share the lead at 13-under par. pic.twitter.com/IhrcnrTeT1
— LPGA (@LPGA) January 19, 2019
The forecast for the final round was cooler temperatures in the upper 50s and 20 mph wind with gusts even stronger. Henderson hopes that works in her favour.
“I think I can grind it out, and a lot of my wins have come in windy conditions,” Henderson said. “I tend to play a little bit better. Hopefully, things go my way, but it’s really cool to be in this position going into Sunday. I feel like I have a lot of positive things to take.”
Hadwin sits third as Mickelson holds 36-hole lead at Desert Classic
LA QUINTA, Calif. – Phil Mickelson birdied four of his last five holes Friday in the Desert Classic to take a two-stroke lead into the weekend in his first event of the year.
A day after matching his career-low score with 12-under 60 at La Quinta Country Club, the 48-year-old Mickelson had a 68 on PGA West’s Nicklaus Tournament Course to reach 16 under. The tournament winner in 2002 and 2004, Lefty will play the final two rounds on PGA West’s Stadium Course.
Curtis Luck was second after a 66 on the Nicklaus layout. The 22-year-old Australian rebounded from a bogey on the par-3 eighth with a closing birdie on the par-4 ninth.
Canadian Adam Hadwin, a Team RBC member, and Steve Marino were 13 under. Hadwin had a 66 at La Quinta, the course where he shot 59 two years ago. Marino had a hole-in-one in a 65, also at La Quinta.
Mickelson birdied the par-4 fifth and sixth holes, the par-5 seventh and closed with another on No. 9. On his opening nine, he birdied the par-5 11th and par-3 12th, then gave back the strokes with a double bogey after hitting into the water on the par-4 18th.
Canada’s Brooke Henderson vaults in front at LPGA Tour season opener
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Canada’s Brooke Henderson kept out of trouble and kept bogeys off her card Friday on her way to a four-under 67 and a two-shot lead in the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions, the winners-only start to the LPGA Tour season.
The 21-year-old native of Smiths Falls, Ont., had the only bogey-free round at Tranquilo Golf Club at Four Seasons and is now 10 under for the tournament.
Ariya Jutanugarn, the No. 1 player in women’s golf who captured every major award last season, made two bogeys, including the par-3 closing hole. The Thai is not sure how she didn’t make more, considering how she hit the ball.
She mixed in six birdies over an 11-hole stretch and it added up to a 67, leaving her two shots back and tied for second along with Lydia Ko (68) and Eun-Hee Ji (67).
“I didn’t expect to finish 4 under today at all because I hit everywhere. I keep missing fairways and greens, and I’m at 4 under,” Jutanugarn said. “I’m going to say my short game helped me a lot today because I keep missing the green – and I’m not missing by two yards, I’m missing by like 10, 15 yards.”
No matter. She was poised going into the weekend to get her encore season off to a big start.
Henderson was at 10-under 132 as the seven-time tour winner tries to match Sandra Post, George Knudson and Mike Weir for the most pro titles by a Canadian. Henderson has had at least a share of the 36-hole lead in five of her seven victories.
“It’s always fun to be in the final group and be in contention,” Henderson said. “It’s what we play for pretty much every single week. It’s nice to be here. It’s only the halfway point, but I still need to make a lot of birdies and keep hitting it to win.”
She didn’t make as many birdies as she wanted in the second round, but it was enough. Henderson began the back nine with two straight birdies, and closed with seven straight pars to stay in the lead.
Another round, another lead for @BrookeHenderson ???#DiamondLPGA pic.twitter.com/M9m7uIbWC8
— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) January 18, 2019
Stacy Lewis, in her first tournament as a mother, followed her opening 66 with a 74. That dropped her to 17th place in the 26-player field limited only to LPGA Tour winners each of the last two seasons.
The field also has a strong celebrity component, with 49 athletes and entertainers competing in a modified Stableford format for a $500,000 purse. Former tennis player Mardy Fish posted 39 points for the second straight day, but with bogeys over his last two holes, his lead was down to one point over former Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz.
Jutanugarn played the second round with former NBA star Ray Allen, and even though she was hitting shots all over the course, she found plenty of time to talk.
“I asked him how to manage when you’re like the best player, like how to manage everything,” Jutanugarn said. “We talked all 18 holes, and he helped me a lot with like how to manage, be like a top player. … It means so much to me. Ray is so nice to me. I kept asking him questions.”
Mirim Lee had a 69 and was alone in fifth place, while Lexi Thompson (69) and Marina Alex (67) were another shot behind.
Henderson won two times last year, including the CP Women’s Open in Regina. She won the KPMG Women’s PGA for her first major in 2016. Despite shutting it down for two weeks over the break while in Canada, she likes the mix she had of rest and practice when she got back to the work.
“Overall, I’m really happy to be in double digits after two rounds. That’s pretty cool, minus 10,” she said. “So I feel like there’s not too much wrong, but just maybe a little bit of inconsistency. Some putts, I wasn’t hitting them quite as well as I would have liked.”