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SPORTS Friday 24 February 2017
Wesley Bryan, Cody Gribble

share lead at Honda

DOUG FERGUSON getting any easier,” Fowler Bryan’s. He tied for eighth
AP Golf Writer said. at Q-school in Decem-
PALM BEACH GARDENS, It was an important start for ber 2014 to get onto the
Fla. (AP) — One reason Poulter, who is playing on a Web.com Tour. He did well
Martin Kaymer enjoys the medical extension from a enough in the final event
Honda Classic is because foot injury last year and has to earn his card, and a
he doesn’t feel as though only six PGA Tour events left month later he was a PGA
he has to make a bunch of to earn either $220,301 or Tour winner.
birdies. 154 FedEx Cup points to re- “This is one of the tourna-
On such a serene Thursday tain his full status. ments I like to play,” Grib-
at PGA National, that was “I’m on borrowed time,” ble said. “I played it well in
required to keep pace. said Poulter, who has Q-school a couple years
A pair of PGA Tour rookies slipped to No. 206 in the ago. I’ve got some good
who last played this course world. “A win would be memories.”q
at Q-school for the Web. nice. I have to think that
com Tour, Cody Gribble I’ve got a chance, I re-
and Wesley Bryan, each ally do. The situation I’m Wesley Bryan acknowledges
opened with a 6-under 64 in, I have to be aggressive, the crowd after putting on
in the morning and it stood but I’ve got to be careful. the eighth hole during the first
the rest of the day. The I can’t make many mis- round of the Honda Classic
wind never really material- takes.” golf tournament, Thursday,
ized. The greens remained Bryan is coming off his best Feb. 23, 2017, in Palm Beach
soft from a big rain the day tournament, a tie for fourth Gardens, Fla.
before. at Riviera in which he got Associated Press
More than half of the field within two shots of Dustin
was at par or better. Johnson toward the end
Kaymer, a two-time major of the third round. It took
champion from Germany him awhile to get going in
playing on a sponsor ex- warm, calm weather, and
emption, chipped in from he finished with a 30 on the
behind the 17th green for front nine.
birdie and closed with a Gribble already has won
two-putt birdie from 40 feet this season at the Sander-
for a 65. He was one shot son Farms Championship
behind, along with Anirban last fall while the top play-
Lahiri of India. ers were in Shanghai. He
“I felt very calm over the missed four straight cuts
ball,” Kaymer said. “I enjoy on the West Coast and fi-
the golf course. When you nally got his swing back to
stand on the first tee, you where he wants it. Along
don’t feel like you need to with birdies on three of the
make five or six birdies. It’s par 3s, he hit all 18 greens in
a ball-striking golf course, regulation.
but even level par or 1-over Bryan, still more known for
par is a very good round. the trick-shot videos he
“It was very soft and there makes with his brother, can
was not much wind,” he feel his confidence starting
said. “Once you miss the to grow.
fairway, it was actually OK And it helped to be on fa-
from the rough because miliar turf.
the greens are soft. I’ve not “I think the comfort out here
played the golf course in this week ... yeah, I got into
easier conditions.” some pretty good form, but
Rickie Fowler and Ian Poul- out here on the golf course,
ter found it the same way. I got through Q-school
They were part of a large just about 14 months ago,
group at 66. Sergio Garcia and it’s a place that I’m
was headed in that direc- comfortable at and a golf
tion until he pulled his tee course I know,” he said.
shot left on the par-3 fifth He picked up a rare birdie
hole and made double on the sixth hole, one of
bogey, added a pair of two that have been con-
other bogeys and recov- verted from par 5s to par 4s
ered with a birdie on his fi- for the Honda Classic, fol-
nal hole for a 68. He was in lowed that with a 12-foot
the group with defending par save and then a 10-
champion Adam Scott. foot birdie on No. 8 to join
“If the weather stays good Gribble in the lead.
and it’s able to dry out, I Gribble’s PGA Tour journey
don’t see the golf course started a year earlier than