NORTON, Mass. – Vying for his first PGA Tour victory, Kevin Chappell was dealt the kind of set back that could derail many players. It could have derailed Chappell just a few years ago, but at 30 years old he’s learned to deal with adversity.
Standing on the 12th tee with a one-stroke lead at the Deutsche Bank Championship, Chappell’s drive sailed 310 yards and into the middle of the fairway – and a divot.
From that difficult lie, Chappell’s approach found a greenside hazard and his next shot bounced off a rock and flew over the green. He made a double bogey-6 to drop out of the lead.
A younger Chappell would likely have not recovered from such misfortune, but he finished his round with six pars for an even-par 71 and will begin the final round four strokes behind leader Paul Casey.
Deutsche Bank Championship: Articles, photos and videos
“My caddie and I, we just managed it better. I was able to not let it compound and move past it,” he said.
Although Chappell conceded it was an unfortunate bounce that landed him in a divot, he added that it was his fault for not handling the situation better.
“I compounded two mistakes there,” he said. “I should have hit that ball left of where the pin was yesterday, but I didn’t. And then I probably shouldn’t have gone in there and played it out of the hazard.”
