Oostie Rebounds With 29-under Nine to Make Honda Classic Cut
Saturday, February 26, 2022

    Louis Oosthuizen came up with his best impression of the Phoenix in the second round of the Honda Classic yesterday, rising from the ashes after nine holes and amazingly making the 36-hole cut when earlier in the day it seemed to be an impossibility.

    After posting a 5-over-par 75 on Thursday and needing to emulate the 1980 Miracle on Ice yesterday in order to keep playing on the weekend, Louis didn't help his cause by making one birdie and one double on the back nine. He headed to his final nine at 6 over par with the cut line looking like it would come at two over. But Louis' game took off in another direction on the front, beginning with a birdie on No. 1. 

    After pars on 2 and 3, Louis' plight still looked hopeless - until he birdied 4, 5, and 6 to reach the plus 2 projected cut. To further ensure his position, he canned a putt of 14 feet, 7 inches for birdie on No. 8, and closed it out with his sixth birdie on the nine by hitting a 164-yard iron to within four feet of the hole, and dunking it for 29 and a round of 65. By the time play was completed, Louis was tied for 31st, 10 strokes behind the leader, Seminole Daniel Berger (65-65-130). 

    Berger posted his 10-under total early in the day, and not one player was able to make a surge to even get close to him. Chris Kirk and first-round leader Kurt Kitayama (64-69-133) were tied for second at 7 under. 

    Of the other Seminoles, Brooks Koepka shot 68-72-140, even par, and is tied with Louis for 31st; Hank Lebioda missed the cut with 71-74-145, and our latest FSU find, Chase Seiffert, is making an early name for himself with 69-66-135, 5 under and tied for sixth. Gator Brian Gay made a huge second-round push with 66 after an opening 76 for 142, on the cut line, along with Billy Horschel (68-74-142). Camilo Villegas missed the cut with 74-83. 

    COLOGUARD CLASSIC - Roger Rowland began the opener in Tucson looking like a different golfer than the one who imploded in last week's Chubb Classic. The former Ocalan birdied the second, fifth and seventh holes at Omni Tucson National to get to 3 under in a hurry. But the round took a turn for the worst when he three-putted the par-5 eighth and made bogey. From there on it was a complete disaster, a spate of bogeys and doubles propelling Roger to a round of 35-43-78, 6 over par, tied for 75th ahead of just one rival, Tom Pernice Jr., who shot 79.

    Jeff Sluman is the first-round co-leader, tied with irrepressible Miguel Angel Jimenez at 6-under 66. They're one better than Woody Austin, Rod Pampling and Tom Lehman, architect of the Ocala Preserve course on highway 27. There are six tied at 4 under, including Gator Chris DiMarco, with his best showing in a while, and Tim Petrovic, who has been tearing it up lately. Marco Dawson, former touring pro for the defunct Adena Springs course, is at 2-under 70, Gator Mark Calcavecchia is at 71, and Scott Dunlap is even par, tied for 40th.   

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