Page 17 - MIN.VOS ALEX SCHWENGLE MAY 29,2015
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SPORTSFriday 29 May 2015
Bowditch shoots 62, leaving Spieth 7 shots back at Nelson
SCHUYLER DIXON Steven Bowditch watches his tee shot on the 17th hole during the first round of the Byron Nelson don Todd, playing a group
AP Sports Writer golf tournament, Thursday, May 28, 2015, in Irving, Texas. ahead of Spieth, had just
IRVING, Texas (AP) — Ste- one birdie and shot 72.
ven Bowditch considers Associated Press Despite an opening bird-
the AT&T Byron Nelson his ie, the 21-year-old Spieth
home tournament — just friends. 10th tee as a high school “Obviously, off the course couldn’t get the warm
maybe not to the extent “It’s starting to feel that junior five years ago, when I prepare hard for this and greetings to escalate on
Jordan Spieth does. way, to be honest. Start- he tied for 16th as the sixth- would like to play well and a mostly sunny but soggy
The Australian matched ing to get a lot more ticket youngest player to make get in contention. But when course that has absorbed
his low round on the PGA requests,” said Bowditch, the cut in a PGA Tour event. I’m inside the ropes, it’s just about a foot of rain in less
Tour with an 8-under 62 on whose only PGA Tour win He returned as a rising star another week. Back then, than three weeks. Players
Thursday to take a two-shot was the 2014 Texas Open after his win at Augusta, it was the biggest tourna- were allowed to lift, clean
lead over another Texan, in San Antonio. “You al- frequently tipping his cap ment I’ve ever played in.” and place their golf balls in
Jimmy Walker. Spieth was ways want to play well, but to large galleries that even James Hahn and Dallas res- the fairways.
seven shots back in his first I guess it is a little more spe- cheered as he walked onto ident Ryan Palmer shared Spieth didn’t give himself
round as Masters champi- cial when you have every- greens. third at 65, and 2011 Nelson many good chances for
on in the event that gave one around that only get “It feels different when I tee champion Keegan Bradley birdie, and let a couple get
the Dallas player his start to see you play golf once off now versus when I was was in the group 66. Danny away in the last three holes
as a 16-year-old amateur a year.” out there then,” said Spieth, Lee aced the par-3 17th by missing short putts while
in 2010. The Nelson had the home- who has finished second at with a 5-iron from 190 yards playing with Justin Thomas,
Bowditch, who moved to town feel for Spieth the all three Texas events this and was tied for ninth at 67. his friend and opponent in
the Dallas area 10 years moment he stepped to the year, including Colonial. Defending champion Bren- the 2012 NCAA team final
ago, has made the cut just when Spieth led Texas over
once at the Nelson — in to see it,” said Harrington, missed greens, which led to dation children’s charity is Alabama. Thomas opened
his debut in 2011, when he who won the Irish Open in giving myself a lot of 8- to hosting the Irish Open for with an even-par 70.
tied for 60th after a third- 2007. 12-footers for pars, and that the first time, said he might A grim-faced Spieth tossed
round 80. He didn’t make The 290th-ranked Kieffer, led to missing all of them,” need to shoot a 66 on Fri- his putter toward his bag
it to the weekend each of 24, was in the last group said McIlroy, who described day to make the cut. That after not even catching
the past three years at TPC to start and not expected his play as “worse as I got would match the course the lip from 8 feet on 16,
Four Seasons. to contend. But he eagled closer to the green.” record set by Jimmy Bruen but was generally upbeat
The 31-year-old missed the the par-5, 525-yard 12th He had played three prac- in 1939. after the round.
cut last week at Colonial in hole on his way to one of tice rounds at the course McIlroy said his first goal “I just didn’t give myself
Fort Worth, which is a little his best rounds since fin- south of Belfast after failing is to give Northern Ireland enough looks inside of
farther from his home in the ishing second in the 2013 to make the cut at Went- fans “something to cheer 15 feet today,” said Spi-
suburb of Flower Mound Spanish Open. worth last weekend, but the about and not just have eth, who won the Valspar
and he says doesn’t have McIlroy bogeyed half of unexpected extra practice sympathy claps.” Championship about a
quite the “hometown” the course and couldn’t hit didn’t help his play. Local fan favorite Dar- month before the Masters.
draw as the Nelson for a birdie. The sellout crowd If McIlroy fails to make the ren Clarke, who has rarely “That’s the only reason I’m
Bowditch’s family and of nearly 20,000 gasped cut Friday, it would be his contended since winning at 1 (under) and not bet-
with each miss, and of- third straight early exit at the 2011 British Open, also ter. I felt comfortable driv-
Irish Open fered relieved applause as the Irish Open. He’s never struggled in shooting a 75. ing the ball and striking it.”
he narrowly two-putted his come close to winning the “We all want to play well,” Bowditch made three
Continued from page 17 final hole for par. event in eight tries. he said, “but sometimes the putts of 24 feet or longer
“My poor iron play led to McIlroy, whose Rory Foun- ball doesn’t realize that.”q while shooting a 30 on the
The 43-year-old Harrington, front nine and had the last
who hasn’t won on the Eu- of eight birdies in a bogey-
ropean Tour since 2008 but free round with a 6-foot
took the PGA Tour’s Hon- putt after a long bunker
da Classic in March, said shot at the par-5 16th. His
understanding the strong previous best round at
winds gave him a tacti- the Nelson was a second-
cal advantage. He birdied round 65 that helped him
five of the final eight, but make his only cut four
edged an 8-foot putt for years ago.
birdie just wide on the final “Probably my best putting
hole. Had he made it, Har- in the way of longer putts
rington would have tied made,” said Bowditch,
the 76-year-old course re- whose other 62 was in the
cord. final round of the 2011 Vi-
“There’s plenty of ways to king Classic in Mississippi. “I
get around this golf course typically don’t make a lot
in the wind. I was happy of longer putts.”q
SPORTSFriday 29 May 2015
Bowditch shoots 62, leaving Spieth 7 shots back at Nelson
SCHUYLER DIXON Steven Bowditch watches his tee shot on the 17th hole during the first round of the Byron Nelson don Todd, playing a group
AP Sports Writer golf tournament, Thursday, May 28, 2015, in Irving, Texas. ahead of Spieth, had just
IRVING, Texas (AP) — Ste- one birdie and shot 72.
ven Bowditch considers Associated Press Despite an opening bird-
the AT&T Byron Nelson his ie, the 21-year-old Spieth
home tournament — just friends. 10th tee as a high school “Obviously, off the course couldn’t get the warm
maybe not to the extent “It’s starting to feel that junior five years ago, when I prepare hard for this and greetings to escalate on
Jordan Spieth does. way, to be honest. Start- he tied for 16th as the sixth- would like to play well and a mostly sunny but soggy
The Australian matched ing to get a lot more ticket youngest player to make get in contention. But when course that has absorbed
his low round on the PGA requests,” said Bowditch, the cut in a PGA Tour event. I’m inside the ropes, it’s just about a foot of rain in less
Tour with an 8-under 62 on whose only PGA Tour win He returned as a rising star another week. Back then, than three weeks. Players
Thursday to take a two-shot was the 2014 Texas Open after his win at Augusta, it was the biggest tourna- were allowed to lift, clean
lead over another Texan, in San Antonio. “You al- frequently tipping his cap ment I’ve ever played in.” and place their golf balls in
Jimmy Walker. Spieth was ways want to play well, but to large galleries that even James Hahn and Dallas res- the fairways.
seven shots back in his first I guess it is a little more spe- cheered as he walked onto ident Ryan Palmer shared Spieth didn’t give himself
round as Masters champi- cial when you have every- greens. third at 65, and 2011 Nelson many good chances for
on in the event that gave one around that only get “It feels different when I tee champion Keegan Bradley birdie, and let a couple get
the Dallas player his start to see you play golf once off now versus when I was was in the group 66. Danny away in the last three holes
as a 16-year-old amateur a year.” out there then,” said Spieth, Lee aced the par-3 17th by missing short putts while
in 2010. The Nelson had the home- who has finished second at with a 5-iron from 190 yards playing with Justin Thomas,
Bowditch, who moved to town feel for Spieth the all three Texas events this and was tied for ninth at 67. his friend and opponent in
the Dallas area 10 years moment he stepped to the year, including Colonial. Defending champion Bren- the 2012 NCAA team final
ago, has made the cut just when Spieth led Texas over
once at the Nelson — in to see it,” said Harrington, missed greens, which led to dation children’s charity is Alabama. Thomas opened
his debut in 2011, when he who won the Irish Open in giving myself a lot of 8- to hosting the Irish Open for with an even-par 70.
tied for 60th after a third- 2007. 12-footers for pars, and that the first time, said he might A grim-faced Spieth tossed
round 80. He didn’t make The 290th-ranked Kieffer, led to missing all of them,” need to shoot a 66 on Fri- his putter toward his bag
it to the weekend each of 24, was in the last group said McIlroy, who described day to make the cut. That after not even catching
the past three years at TPC to start and not expected his play as “worse as I got would match the course the lip from 8 feet on 16,
Four Seasons. to contend. But he eagled closer to the green.” record set by Jimmy Bruen but was generally upbeat
The 31-year-old missed the the par-5, 525-yard 12th He had played three prac- in 1939. after the round.
cut last week at Colonial in hole on his way to one of tice rounds at the course McIlroy said his first goal “I just didn’t give myself
Fort Worth, which is a little his best rounds since fin- south of Belfast after failing is to give Northern Ireland enough looks inside of
farther from his home in the ishing second in the 2013 to make the cut at Went- fans “something to cheer 15 feet today,” said Spi-
suburb of Flower Mound Spanish Open. worth last weekend, but the about and not just have eth, who won the Valspar
and he says doesn’t have McIlroy bogeyed half of unexpected extra practice sympathy claps.” Championship about a
quite the “hometown” the course and couldn’t hit didn’t help his play. Local fan favorite Dar- month before the Masters.
draw as the Nelson for a birdie. The sellout crowd If McIlroy fails to make the ren Clarke, who has rarely “That’s the only reason I’m
Bowditch’s family and of nearly 20,000 gasped cut Friday, it would be his contended since winning at 1 (under) and not bet-
with each miss, and of- third straight early exit at the 2011 British Open, also ter. I felt comfortable driv-
Irish Open fered relieved applause as the Irish Open. He’s never struggled in shooting a 75. ing the ball and striking it.”
he narrowly two-putted his come close to winning the “We all want to play well,” Bowditch made three
Continued from page 17 final hole for par. event in eight tries. he said, “but sometimes the putts of 24 feet or longer
“My poor iron play led to McIlroy, whose Rory Foun- ball doesn’t realize that.”q while shooting a 30 on the
The 43-year-old Harrington, front nine and had the last
who hasn’t won on the Eu- of eight birdies in a bogey-
ropean Tour since 2008 but free round with a 6-foot
took the PGA Tour’s Hon- putt after a long bunker
da Classic in March, said shot at the par-5 16th. His
understanding the strong previous best round at
winds gave him a tacti- the Nelson was a second-
cal advantage. He birdied round 65 that helped him
five of the final eight, but make his only cut four
edged an 8-foot putt for years ago.
birdie just wide on the final “Probably my best putting
hole. Had he made it, Har- in the way of longer putts
rington would have tied made,” said Bowditch,
the 76-year-old course re- whose other 62 was in the
cord. final round of the 2011 Vi-
“There’s plenty of ways to king Classic in Mississippi. “I
get around this golf course typically don’t make a lot
in the wind. I was happy of longer putts.”q
