Potter Starts Slowly, Closes Fast in Puerto Rico Open
Friday, March 3, 2023

    Ted Potter got off to a weird start at the Puerto Rico Open yesterday, as he attempts to resurrect his game, which has been visibly missing for many months and causing him to lose his exempt status on the PGA Tour.

    Ted made bogey on the first hole at the Grand Reserve Golf Club, rebounded with an eagle 3 on the second, then took bogeys on 4 and 8 for a front-nine 37, 1 over par. But he birdied 12 and 18 for a back-nine 34 and 18 holes in 1-under-par 71 which put him in a tie for 47th in the $3.8 million event, right on the early cut line. 

    Carson Young put up a 9-under 63 to take the lead, three strokes better than Max McGreevy and Akshay Bhatia. There are four at 67, including Bill Haas, one of the large group of former PGA Tour A-listers looking to use this satellite event to regain their exemptions.

    Gator Camilo Villegas posted a 4-under 68 and is tied for eighth, while Seminole Hank Lebioda's 2-under 70 has him in a deadlock for 28th. 

    In Windermere, the main event of the week is the $20 million Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, and Jon Rahm is right where he's been so often lately, on top, via a 7-under-par 65. Last week's winner at the Honda Classic, Chris Kirk, is tied for second at 67, along with Cam Young and Kurt Kitayama. There are eight tied for fifth at 4-under 68, including big guns Rickie Fowler, Xander Schauffele, defending champ Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, Jordan Spieth and Keegan Bradley. 

    The early cut line is at even par, and Gator Tyson Alexander is three off that number after a disastrous start - bogeys on 1, 2 and 3 and a double bogey on 6. After going 5 over, he birdied 11 and 12 for a back-nine 34, and a 3-over 75. Gator Billy Horschel's 73, 1 over par, has him tied for 68th. 

Leave a comment below
comments powered by Disqus