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A18 SPORTS
Saturday 25 February 2017

Honda Classic could play golf. Enjoyed son at one point in the third
Continued from page 17 time at home, took care of round until the new world
the kids. But it was a lot of No. 1 pulled away to win
hard times, for sure.” easily.
The long break was to be She was diagnosed rela- On the other side of the
at home with his wife, Jen- tively early, and the timing country, the player famous
nifer, who is recovering helped in other ways. for his trick-shot videos with
from breast cancer. Palmer was able to reach brother George Bryan was
She was diagnosed with out to Stewart Cink, whose right back at it. Along with
Stage 2 cancer in late wife is battling breast can- five birdies, his biggest mo-
July while he was at the cer. And the week after he ment was a bogey on the
Canadian Open. She had learned his wife had breast 13th hole when his only
surgery about five weeks cancer, Palmer sought out option was using a putter
later. Palmer’s season end- Phil Mickelson at the PGA to get out of the trees. He
ed in September, and he Championship. Mickel- holed an 8-foot bogey putt
spent the rest of the year son’s wife was diagnosed to keep in range, and then
helping her cope with che- in 2009. “And he went right he holed a 10-foot birdie
motherapy and at home to work and made phone putt on the 18th to tie for
with their two children. calls for me,” Palmer said. the lead.
“I watched a few tourna- “I can’t think him enough “Don’t like making bogeys,
ments,” Palmer said. “There for what he did. It’s been a but any time you find your-
were times when she said long ride.” self using a putter out of the
I should have gone and Bryan had a rough start to trees for your second shot,
played. I was going to play his rookie season until turn- it’s not good,” he said.
Vegas and I was going to ing it around last week at “Glad to settle for bogey Wesley Bryan reacts as he misses a putt on the ninth hole during
the second round of the Honda Classic golf tournament, Friday,
play Malaysia, but after Riviera, where he got within there and glad to get one Feb. 24, 2017, in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
that, there was no way I two shots of Dustin John- on 18, tied for the lead go- Associated Press

ing into the weekend.” “Felt like it was the best
The cut was at even-par putting I’ve done in a year
140, matching the highest and a half, and it’s carried
cut since the Honda Clas- over to this week,” he said.
sic moved to PGA National Fowler also started 66-66 a
in 2007. year ago, becoming the
Among those missing the first player to go bogey-free
cut was Shawn Stefani, but over the opening 36 holes
not without doing all he at PGA National, which has
could. One over the cut been the site of the Honda
line with four holes to go, Classic in 2007. But he went
he drove into the water 71-74 on the weekend and
on No. 6, stripped down to was never a factor.
his underwear and blasted Fowler feels as though his
out to the fairway. He still game is in good shape.
made bogey. Now he’d like to finish it off.
Palmer said he kept his He hasn’t won anywhere
swing in good shape dur- since Abu Dhabi a year
ing the time off. The prob- ago, and his last PGA Tour
lem was his putter. victory was over Labor Day
“The greens, all hell broke weekend in 2015.
loose — the nerves, anxi- “I feel like it’s time for me
ety right hand. I spent four to start finishing off some
weeks going through that,” more events when I am in
he said. this position,” Fowler said.
He worked with Dave “I wouldn’t look just back
Stockton and his son on at this specific event, but
putting during the three there’s been a few where
days leading to the Gene- I’ve had a chance, and
sis Open at Riviera, opened I feel very good out front
with a 68 and saw good re- or around the guys in the
sults, even though he tied lead. I’m looking forward
for 49th. to this weekend.”q