Page 18 - ATD 27MAY2017

A18 SPORTS
Saturday 27 May 2017
Spieth avoids Colonial cut scare, has shot to defend title

SCHUYLER DIXON thing, and you’re not go- ing round.
AP Sports Writer ing to be able to play both “I played one through five
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) weekends in town,” said in 4 under. I don’t think
— Jordan Spieth normally Spieth , coming off missed I’ve ever done 2 under on
doesn’t concern himself cuts in The Players Cham- those holes,” Spieth said. “I
with the cut line in the mid- pionship and AT&T Byron felt really good about the
dle of a round. Nelson. “That would have way that we played those
Unless the Dallas native is in been really, really tough last 14 holes, about as solid
danger of staying home on for me to swallow if I missed as the entire year.”
consecutive weekends in the cut. And it was in my Simpson made a 7-footer
what amount to his home- head.” at the par-3 16th, then put
town events. Lee birdied the last hole for his approach at 17 just in-
Spieth recovered from a a 64, the low round of the side 3 feet for a birdie that
bad start by going 5 under tournament on a hot and tied Casey. Third at Colo-
over his final 13 holes at the windy day. Kisner also had nial last year, Simpson had
Colonial on Friday, and his a birdie on his final hole, the missed the cut at Colonial
2-under 68 put the defend- ninth, for a second straight his only two other times in
ing champion at 2-under 67. Simpson, the 2012 U.S. 2009-10.
138, four shots behind sec- Open champion, and A four-time PGA Tour win-
ond-round leaders Webb Piercy each shot 66 to join ner with his most recent
Simpson, Kevin Kisner, Dan- the group at 6-under 134. victory in 2014, Simpson
ny Lee and Scott Piercy. Masters champion Ser- skipped last week’s Nelson
Jordan Spieth tees off on the 11th hole during the second round “When your back’s against gio Garcia (66) and fel- and hasn’t played both
of the Dean & DeLuca Invitational golf tournament at Colonial the wall and you feel the low Spaniard Jon Rahm Dallas-Fort Worth events
Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, Friday, May 26, 2017. nerves kick up because (69), who played in the since 2010.
Associated Press you’ve got to do some- same group, were at 5 un- “I didn’t play well at Byron
der along with England’s my first couple of years, so
Paul Casey (66) and Sean I just decided to stay out of
O’Hair (68). Texas,” Simpson joked.
Phil Mickelson didn’t have Kisner made a 14-foot
a birdie while shooting a 75 birdie on his final hole, the
that left him at 2 over, three ninth, to join Simpson. Mo-
shots clear of the cut in his ments later, Lee rolled one
first Colonial since the two- in from 27 feet at the 18th.
time champ missed the cut Piercy had a shot at the
in 2010. outright lead at the ninth,
Spieth said the key to the missing from 24 feet.
recovery was a short bo- Casey’s best Colonial finish
gey putt at 14, his fifth hole, was fifth in his debut in 2009,
that dropped him to 3 the same year of his only
over after he opened with PGA Tour win in Houston.
a par 70. The 23-year-old The 14-time international
broke from his recent rou- winner had three birdies
tine by seeking caddy Mi- and a bogey over his first
chael Greller’s input on the four holes before settling in
4-footer. with two birdies over the fi-
“He said, ‘Hit this one with nal 14 while generally stay-
confidence and walk it ing out of trouble.
in,’” Spieth said about The highlight for Casey was
his third bogey in the first a 25-foot par save at the
five holes. “I stepped and par-4 fifth, his 14th hole.
walked it in. I think it was “It’s been tricky with the
kind of shocking because wind,” Casey said. “I’ve
it was a bogey putt to go handled it so far, so I would
3 over. No one really walks actually like it to stay tricky
those in. But it was exactly if it can. And I handle the
what I needed.” heat well. So I am saying
Spieth immediately fol- probably the more difficult
lowed with a 35-foot birdie it is, the better it is for me.”
putt at No. 15, then had Garcia had six birdies, while
four birdies in the first five Rahm didn’t get his first un-
holes of Colonial’s front til 17 while finishing with two
nine. That included two straight.
birdies on the “Horrible Si Woo Kim, playing for
Horseshoe” of holes 3-5. the first time since winning
The 2015 Masters and The Players Championship
U.S. Open champion had two weeks ago, had an 8
no bogeys over the final on the par-4 ninth after his
13 holes after seven bo- pitch from greenside bun-
geys and a double bogey ker went dead right off his
among his first 23, which club and rolled into the
offset six birdies in his open- water.q