NAPLES, Fla. — There was plenty of movement on the leaderboard during Saturday’s second round at the 2022 QBE Shootout.
Teams jockeyed for position to put themselves in contention ahead of Sunday’s final round, but one thing remains the same Saturday night as it was Friday: the names at the top.
Charley Hoffman and Ryan Palmer continued their strong play, carding a 10-under 62 in the second-round modified alternate shot format at Tiburon Golf Club. It was a fairly stress-free performance from the duo, who are pairing up for the first time but have plenty of experience at the QBE Shootout. The most difficult shot they faced was arguably a par putt on 18, which Palmer converted with ease.
“I’m surprised how low I’d say the field went,” Hoffman said. “Obviously sort of benign conditions, but you’ve still got to execute and hit golf shots around this place. Obviously 10 under is a pretty good score.”
Neither has won before, but they’ll take a two-shot lead into Sunday, the same lead they had after the first round.
Charley Hoffman/Ryan Palmer set the lowest opening 36-hole score in QBE Shootout history (56-62–118) to hold a two-stroke lead at 26-under. They were the only team to birdie three of the four par-3 holes in the Modified Alternate Shot format in round two.
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) December 10, 2022
Hoffman and Palmer started as hot as they finished, carding birdies on the first two holes to increase their lead. Though other duos tied the lead at points throughout the round, no one was ever able to knock Hoffman and Palmer from the top, and as they came down the stretch, they managed to make birdies and distance themselves from the pack.
They birdied three straight from Nos. 12-14. Then back-to-back on Nos. 16-17. A day after a 56, they were one of four teams (out of 12) to shoot double-digits under par on Saturday.
Their two-round total of 118 is a new record at the QBE Shootout.
“This is a format you could have shot yourself in the foot for sure if you didn’t go out and put a decent round up,” Palmer said. “To shoot 10 under, there was 12 and 11 I believe, I was watching the leaderboard a little bit when I saw them and they played some exceptional golf. We played solid all day, we didn’t do anything spectacular.
“He teed off a lot of great tee balls, my iron play was on point today and he was able to make some putts. And when I needed to, I made a few, so the tag teaming went well today. It was nice to get that round in in this format.”
The closest group chasing is Tom Hoge and Sahith Theegala, which shot 12-under 60 for the second straight day. From holes Nos. 11-17 on the back nine, they were 7 under, punctuated with an eagle on the par-5 17th.
“Today, we just kind of started off hot and never really looked back,” Theegala said. “I was just saying walking off the green it just felt really stress free today.”
Theegala and Hoge made birdie on their first three holes and five of the first six. They cooled off in the middle of the round, but then again rekindled the flame during the stretch on the back nine. They’ll be in the final group on Sunday, looking to become the second pair of first-timers to win.
“I think more than anything, in best ball both of us just need to kind of be in the hole with chances on every hole,” Hoge said. “If we can both play well, it will help it out. Ultimately, you’ve got to make a lot of birdies to catch these guys, they’re playing well.”
Jason Day and Billy Horschel make big move
Billy Horschel and Jason Day were the first two players to tee off Saturday at Tiburon Golf Club.
Come Sunday, they’ll be two of the last. Day and Horschel put together one of the rounds of the day, shooting 11-under 61. The 61 matches their score from Friday’s scramble portion. They sit T-3, four shots back.
“Tell you the truth, it easily could have been 13, 14 under par,” Horschel said. “We had a couple putts that just burned the edges, and we didn’t birdie No. 6. It could have easily been a really special round of golf today.”
The round started with three birdies on the first three holes, then they added one on the difficult par-3 fifth. They went out in 6-under 30 before coming home in 5-under 31.
Day won this tournament in 2014 with Cameron Tringale, and Horschel finished runner-up last year, losing by one shot. This is the first time Day and Horschel have paired up, and they have plenty of experience in Sunday’s format. How can they be successful?
“I think just give yourself the opportunities out there,” Day said. “I know that, like, just get stuck in your own game and try and make as many birdies. I know that you have a partner, but like really just trying to do the best job you can personally. I think if you can go out there and shoot somewhere between 5 and 10 on your own ball, hopefully your partner picks up some of those other ones on the other holes and then you’re potentially in and around the lead.”
English, Kuchar in familiar spot
The best duo in the history of the QBE Shootout is Matt Kuchar and Harris English. So, it’s not a surprise to see them near the top of the leaderboard. Again.
They’ve won the event three times, which is a record. They have the most top-five finishes (six) as a team, too.
And again this year, they’re looking to hoist the trophy come Sunday. English and Kuchar shot 10-under 62 and are tied for third with Day and Horschel.
They birdied five straight holes on the back nine and seven of their last eight. Heading to Sunday, they sit at 22 under and four shots back.
Nelly Korda, Denny McCarthy fight back late
Denny McCarthy stuck his hands out and laughed. His partner, Nelly Korda, was standing off the green and did the same back.
The duo were stuck in neutral after the first eight holes, having made seemingly no putts and even recording a bogey on the par-3 sixth.
Yet McCarthy’s reaction was to a birdie putt on the par-4 ninth, set up by a great shot from Korda in the right rough to get them back on track.
“We finally made one,” McCarthy said to Korda’s parents, Petr and Regina Rajchrtova, as they marched toward the 10th tee.
Saturday’s round didn’t go as smoothly to start for Korda, the second-ranked women’s golfer in the world, and McCarthy. After an opening 12-under 60, they shot 5-under 67 on Saturday in a round that also included a double bogey on the par-4 11th.
The duo, who are both excellent putters, couldn’t get anything to find the bottom of the cup. That is, until after the double bogey.
They made four straight birdies on holes No. 13-16, salvaging the day. Then McCarthy buried a long eagle putt on the 17th. The highlight, however, was the uproar they caused on 18.
Whoa, Nelly!
Excitement on No. 18 for @NellyKorda and @DennyMcCarthy 🤩 pic.twitter.com/MqjBu0FLw0
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 10, 2022
They’ll have to make a big move on Sunday, but they’re in much better position after the strong finish than they were with seven holes to go in the second round.
Meanwhile, Lexi Thompson and partner Maverick McNealy matched with a 5-under 67, McNealy’s birdie attempt on 18 just missing.
Looking ahead to Sunday's format
Sunday is the final day of the QBE Shootout, and it’s also the third different format players will have in as many days.
After playing scramble and modified alternate shot, the 12 teams will play four-ball come Sunday. Every player will play their own ball, and teams will take whichever player has the lowest score on each hole.
