Adam

Schenk

Schenk found himself sleeping on a 54-hole lead for the third time in his PGA TOUR career. The most recent was a close call at the Valspar Championship in March. He’s now 0-for-3 in converting those 54-hole leads into victories but he’s finished T3 or better in all three instances. He also turned a 54-hole lead into a 4th-place finish at the 2021 Barracuda Championship (stableford). “We got close and know it’s coming and know just to stay patient. When I get in the situation again, especially if it’s a difficult golf course, just to keep taking what the course gives you, stick to your game plan, and know that I’m good enough to win out here.” Schenk ended the week ranked 26th or better in all four sub-categories of strokes gained and avoided all but just six bogeys for the week on a very difficulty Colonial CC setup.

The Purdue product split just seven (of 14) fairways and landed 11 GIR. “It could have just as easily been a 70 or 71. Tomorrow I could shoot 70 and play a lot better than I did today, just because of some luck and a chip-in and a long putt.” Schenk was honest about his round and knows he’ll need to tidy up the driver as the week goes on.

Schenk tossed his name into contention last week at the Valspar Championship. He talked about playing a heavy schedule before the upcoming birth of his child. He’s pulling the plug on the Corales after last week’s career-best, runner-up finish. Gamers should remove him from all fantasy roster considerations this week. He was one of many Monday WDs, check out the Rob Bolton tweet linked below for other names that removed their names from the field.

The Purdue product held the lead or co-lead after each of the first three rounds this week. Playing in the final group alongisde Jordna Spieth, he showed no sign of nerves but didn’t have his best stuff, either. He gained 2.5 strokes putting today to keep his name in the mix. “It stinks to get so close, but great week all in all, so I can’t really complain. David and I did about as good as we could have done with how I hit it today.” Schenk kept himself in contention until the very end. He walked of the 18th tee with a share of the lead but his drive nestled right up to the base of a tree, forcing him to hit it left-handed just to get back into play. His par-saving attempt popped the hole but didn’t drop. This solo second will be his fourth career top-5 finish and second podium (T3 at the 2021-22 Shriners).

Schenk circled six birdies today to erase a lone blemish. His ball-striking stats were close to field average (7 fairways, 10 GIR) but his short game is what allowed him to shine. “Just putted really well. Fortunate on the last hole. I hit a bunker shot that hit the pin. Probably going to go eight feet by and ended up only four feet or six feet, whatever it was. So some good fortune, some good golf. Not a lot could have gone that much better. So it’s one those rounds that could have been 1-, 2-under par that ended up 5-under par. You take the days like this and run with them.” This will be his first time holding a first-round lead or co-lead on the PGA TOUR. Schenk had entered the week with four previous tries at the Valspar, missing the cut twice while also posting a T59 (2018) and T18 (2021).

The Purdue product was a bit sloppy from tee-to-green, splitting 6-of-14 fairways on his way toward 13 GIR. He made up for it with a hot flat stick, gaining 3.5 strokes putting, best in the field at press time. “I just made a lot of putts from 12 to 15 feet. I didn’t hit it overly straight, which I’ll have to take care of for the rest of the week.” He arrived with a 2-for-2 record at Bay Hill, posting a T29 in his 2019 debut and T42 last year. Schenk is sharing a slice of fourth place as the morning wave nears a conclusion.

Schenk is among a large group of players looking for their maiden Tour victory this week at Port Royal GC, but he has a better shot than most after rounds of 63-66 lifted him to 13 under, tied for second and one shot behind leader Ben Crane. Schenk has now broken par in 10 straight rounds, dating back to the opening round of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. He finished T-12 in Las Vegas, added a T-16 finish at the Zozo Championship and now seems poised for more success after a second round that included four birdies and an eagle on the par-5 seventh hole. The 129 ties his best career 36-hole mark on a course where he finished T-26 in 2020 in his lone prior appearance.

Schenk split just 8-of-14 fairways but did manage 14 GIR. The driver was the clear weakness on the stat sheet and he echoed that sentiment in his post-round interview, “I putted one of the best putting rounds I ever had. Whatever putt I had like I felt I should have made, I did. I need to get off the tee a lot better tomorrow, I did a pretty poor job of that. Luckily there’s some room on this golf course, but definitely going to have to tighten up the driver tomorrow.” Schenk arrived off back-to-back top 20s and was solo second after round one of the ZOZO Championship. He’s right in the same spot just two weeks later. He remains on the hunt for his first PGA TOUR title and with his top four finishes on TOUR all coming with score of 15-under or better, he’ll likely be hoping the wind stays away for three more days.

Schenk remains in search of his first career win on Tour, but he landed in Japan with some momentum after a T-12 finish last week in Las Vegas. He continued along that trend Thursday at Narashino CC, where a couple of lengthy birdie putts helped to lift him to a 5-under score and within one of Brendan Steele’s early lead. “Could have easily been a 1- or 2-under day, but fortunately it was 5,” he told reporters. Schenk was bogey-free Thursday at Narashino CC, where he finished T-22 in 2019 and T-28 last year. His opening 65 was two shots better than his best score from either of those two editions.

Schenk was a popular selection in weekly fantasy formats as he arrived with top 10s in each of his last two trips to TPC Deere Run. Today, he circled two birdies but that was not enough to offset six bogeys and a double. He entered the week at 78th in the FedExcup race so he’s still on pace to make a nice run in the FedExCup Playoffs but this is certainly not the result that his fans or DFS gamers wanted this week.