Ryan

Palmer

The Texan snapped out of a slump last week at Quail Hollow Club and built on that momentum today. “I got within the top 10 at one moment, and I haven’t been there in a long time. That’s all it takes is little things like that. I ended up finishing 35th, but I took more away from that event just by being in certain positions.” Palmer split 9-of-14 fairways today while also pelting 14 GIR. It was a steady day from tee-to-green and he also managed to gain 1.2 strokes putting. Palmer’s confidence tank is filling fast which is needed as he’s just 186th in the FedExCup standings.

The Texan arrived on the heels of four straight missed cuts but flipped the script today. He pelted 14 GIR (T8) after splitting six of 14 fairways (T103). His putter certainly contributed to the low score with four of his six birdies converted from outside of 13 feet. On top of his poor form, Palmer also arrived with a trio of missed cuts on his course resume, making this his first trip to Quail Hollow since the 2007 edition. This low round came from off the radar so gamers should watch closely to see how he fares over the final 54 holes.

The Texan split 8-of-13 fairways and landed 11 greens in regulation. His ball-striking stats were slightly better than field average but his short game is really where he excelled. Palmer splashed home six putts from outside of eight feet including a trio from outside of 11 feet. The Texas A&M alum talked about how he’s enjoying the conditions this week, “I grew up in rural Texas, flat, a lot of wind, so I learned to hit a lot of creative shots, low shots. I love coming over here. Love playing this golf course. Great week last year. I just love this golf because there’s so many shots you can hit. You have to really be creative.” Palmer posted a top 5 here last year in his course debut and he’s right back in the hunt with a chance to contend tomorrow.

The 45-year-old, who kicked off with 67 and day-low, bogey-free 62 to co-lead with two others, follows with 70-66 for his first top 10 of the season in 14 events and first since T7 at last season’s team Zurich with Jon Rahm as defenders. That was 23 starts ago, while his most recent individual top 10 came 30 starts ago (T2, 2021 Farmers), and now heads to this coming week’s PGA Championship in Tulsa, where he’s set to make his 36th major appearance. The Texan, who drops to 2-for-10 as a 36-hole leader/co-leader, zero for his last eight, has missed 17 cuts in majors, four straight and five of his last six, conjuring just two top 10s, including a best of T5 at the 2014 PGA at Valhalla in KY. The good news, he records his fourth top 10 at the Nelson in 18 visits, first since T10 in 2015 (TPC Four Seasons), tallied two eagles and 26 birdies against five bogeys and a double, and was positive in all strokes gained metrics this week, including 9th SG: Putting (4.428), 3.259 of that in R4, and 13th SG: Tee-to-Green (6.707), despite a -0.949 TTG on Sunday.

After kicking off with 67 and day-low 62, the 45-year-old co-led with Munoz and rookie David Skinns (74). On 10 (of 14) fairways and 12 greens in regulation, he gained 1.464 strokes off-the-tee and 0.201 around-the-green, but lost 1.011 on approach and posted a dismal -2.118 on-the-green. The Texas A&M alum was 5-under thru 15 holes, offsetting bogey-4s at 4 and 7 (missed par-saver from 4'8") with seven birdies at 5, 6 and 9-13, but doubled the par-4 16th (wayward second shot behind the hospitality), missed birdie at 17 from 10'10", and bogeyed the par-5 last (watered second shot). He’ll be in the third-to-last threesome on Sunday with Charl Schwartzel and rookie Davis Riley, chasing a fifth TOUR win in 459 events, first since the 2019 Zurich teamed with Jon Rahm 65 starts ago, and first individually since the 2010 Sony Open as a 54-hole co-leader.

The Texan was dialed in from the start today. He pelted 16 greens in regulation while gaining 2.6 strokes on approach along the way. He gave himself nine scoring chances from inside of eight feet and converted on all of them. The bonus birdie came from 21'4" at the par-4 14th. "/main thing I’m driving the ball well and that’s the key on par-5s when you get ‘em playable like this. Keep doing what I’m doing and I’m excited for the weekend and I love playing well and especially when I’m at home.” Palmer is 9-under through two days on the par 5s alone (2 eagles, five birdies). If this lead were to hold then it’d be his 10th career 36-hole lead or co-lead on the PGA TOUR with the most recent coming just last month at the Valero Texas Open (T48). This also matches his career Low 36 (15-under 129 at the 2014 Humana Challenge).

Palmer finished top 10 in three of the prior four team editions, including a T7 last year as defenders with Jon Rahm, and won the 2019 edition on 26-under, also with then-World No. 11 Rahm. Scheffler, making his second appearance after a T8 last year on 16-under with Bubba Watson, arrived off his first major title at the 86th Masters two weeks ago in his first start as World No. 1, winning by three after being the 36- and 54-hole leader. Each player contributed four birdies today, Palmer early on at Nos. 1, 2, 8 and 12 (from 25'11"), while Scheffler’s four came at 7, 13, 16 and 18, the latter an up-and-down 4 from 76 yards away. Palmer afterwards (link below): “I think some of the four, five, six-footers I made today, just for me personally, were crucial just for my psyche. I was telling Scottie we didn’t go out and kill it. I feel like not the best round following Patrick and Xander, what they shot, but we didn’t shoot ourselves in the foot. Shooting 8-under is still a good start to this tournament because the real fun starts tomorrow (alternate shot).”

This was the Texan’s ninth 36-hole lead/co-lead and the seventh time that he didn’t hold on to the lead, clocking-in with the day’s worst round with three others. On six (of 14) fairways and 15 greens in regulation, he squared five bogeys, posting -1.267 SG: Off-the-Tee and a dismal -4.948 SG: Putting with 37 total putts. If there is a positive for the 45-year-old, he’s only five shots back of four co-leaders, but something akin to his personal-event-low, 6-under 64 (LaCantera GC) he fired here in 2009 for a back-door T9 would be in order on Sunday to have any hope. UPDATE: With the tournament complete, Palmer finished T48 on 3-under 285 (68-66-77-74) and drops to 2-for-9 as a 36-hole leader/co-leader.

The Texan, who is already exempt into next week’s Masters, will be in the final group on Saturday with past champ Kevin Chappell (65) and Matt Kuchar (69) and is chasing his fifth TOUR title in 456 events, first individually since the 2010 Sony 280 starts ago as the 36-hole leader by one (65-66-68-66). This is his ninth 36-hole lead/co-lead, first since T1 at the 2020 Memorial (finished 2nd), and is previously 2-for-8 converting, zero for his last six. On seven (of 14) fairways and 11 greens in regulation, the 45-year-old gained 2.319 strokes tee-to-green and 3.717 with the flat stick, circling six birdies at holes 2, 3, 8, 9, 14 and 15, two from between 15 and 32 feet. He arrived 6-for-10 on the season with two top 25s, most recently a T16 five starts ago at the Farmers, where he was T12 at the midpoint (67-69-69-72). See link below to post-round comments.

Finishing in a tie for 12th place at the Sony Open and tie for 16th at the Farmers Insurance Open, Palmer has since struggled. The 45-year-old has now missed 3-of-4 cuts with his lone weekend appearance resulting in a tie for 70th place at the Honda Classic. Finding difficulties throughout his bag and mainly on the greens, TPC San Antonio is a perfect get right spot for Palmer. Having played in each Texas Open held on this Greg Norman design, Palmer has collected six top-20 finishes, three of which doubled as top-10s, and another as a top-5. Seemingly capable on these green complexes, Palmer has gained strokes with the putter in hand in 5-of-6 trips to TPC San Antonio and if able to again, hopefully, he will put an end to the current skid he is on.