It's so tight when you're playing a tour event that if you miss one as Denny McCarthy did, that short putt miss can lead to another and what then appears statistically as a bad putting day, useful to know when he holes 3 putts and doesn't miss any tomorrow in round two. Denny is normally a reasonable putter so he clearly had the odd misread or got too aggressive and gave himself a bad tiddler. That was the story at the first (his 10th) and I don't know the reason for the 3putt at 3 but he was in the box seat as he hit the green only to watch Bubba and Charles Howell III walk off with pars to his bogey.
His front nine had started solidly if somewhat unspectacular, he plotted the tough stretch from 10-13 in par looking very much in control. Dropping a shot at 14 was the first blip as all three missed the green but they got up and down from the left whereas from the bunker on the right it was a tad more tricky.
A great drive and approach at 17 set up the birdie and at 18, from 15ft for eagle, Denny was a bit unlucky. He must've been quite confident as he started at -2 on the easier front 9.
He was matching his playing partners shot for short most of the way around and often he was closer to the hole. To turn towards the easy holes at -2, -3, & -4 this was a fairly hot 3 ball.
But for Denny it became a birdie bogey rollercoaster that causes the scorekeepers carrying the scoresticks be always be reaching into their bag for the last number.
Whenever he did miss the green and the 6th and 7th sum it up, it ended in tears, if you cry over dropped shots to the field.
His drive probably cost him at 6 as he tried to work something in, an ambitious plot that failed as he got close to the pin but his 20ft chip, left him 7ft to go and it was the wrong side. Better leaving a 40 yard shot from the right side than 9 yards from the wrong place. His playing partners get par and he gets bogey undoing the excellent work he did at 4 where his good driving ensured he outplayed his partners with a two putt birdie.
To walk off with a five at 7 having hit a reasonable tee shot will have hurt, the fact it was a single putt is what seperated the best from the rest, but 3 chances to hit a green from 263 yards, is forgiveness itself, but from 30 yards to only get halfway is a shot lost on the field. 3rd time lucky he puts it to 4ft and gets his five. They say all the time that strokes gained in approach are worth a lot on this course. You have to be mindful where the flags are and there are good misses but you've really got to hit the green at the second time of asking.
Denny walked off 2 under and you feel there's unfinished business as his playing partners Chucky three sticks (-4) and Bubba (-5) both scored so much better than him.
I hope his coach explains just how important that birdie was at his last. He is capable of being that good and I take him to outscore the others in round 2.
They go out early so get the money on now as the course will firm up in the afternoon!
