Bryson hopes not to have to ‘rely on luck’
In-form Bryson Dechambeau is determined “not to rely on luck” in his bid to add The Players Championship to his impressive CV after moving ominously up the leaderboard in the second round in Florida.
The 27-year-old, fresh from winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, also in Florida, last weekend, carded a second successive 69 at TPC Sawgrass to reach the halfway stage in the $15 million tournament sitting on six-underpar.
Dechambeau has now signed for seven straight rounds under par at the Ponte Vedra Beach venue.
However, but his good work so far in the game’s so-called “fifth major” has not been down to his prodigious power off the tee.
At the time he finished his second circuit, the US Open champion was ranked 77th in the field in strokes gained off the tee and, by his own admission, he had been fortunate to get away with some wayward hitting over the opening 36 holes.
“I’m happy with the fact that I’ve still been able to keep myself in it and score well,” said Dechambeau.
“I’ve been pretty lucky, for the most part.
“I don't think that'll happen this weekend.
“I’ve got to make sure that my game is good off the tee, so I don’t have those issues occurring and I don’t have to rely on luck. I have to get it in the fairway.”
Missing that at his opening hole – the tenth – led to a double-bogey six to start the second circuit, but birdies at the 11th, 16th and 17th got him back on track before further gains at the sixth and ninth completed a good day’s work.
“Oh, frustration, definitely,” said Dechambeau of the start, who is a combined 29-under for his last nine round since signing for a 77 in the opening round of the Wgc-workday Championship at The Concession a fortnight ago.
“You don’t expect to do that the first hole out, especially as I was hitting it pretty good this morning.
“I’m a perfectionist and I’ll continue to be so until the day I die and until the day I stop playing this game,” he added of his performance so far this week.
“That’s just the way I am. I love it about me.
“That’s what makes me work hard and fight for every shot out there.”
On a day when overnight leader Sergio Garcia was among the later starters, American Chris Kirk carded an eagle and seven birdies to sign for a 65, which catapulted him to seven-under-par.
“I wish I had some revelation of something that I changed and sparked this incredible play, but I didn't change anything,” said world number 84 Kirk, who recorded the last of his four PGA Tour triumphs in 2015.
Helped by a hole-in-one at the third, Denny Mccarthy joined Dechambeau on sixunder, as did Charley Hoffman and left-hander Brian Harman.
Spaniard Jon Rahm moved to four-under-par on the back of a 68, which saw him cover the last 12 holes in five-under.
Martin Laird, a runner-up in this event in 2012, picked up two shots in his last six holes for a 71.
This left him with a oneunder total, which looked likely to make the cut.
Russell Knox and Bob Macintyre both reached the turn in their second rounds with chances of doing likewise, on level-par and one-over respectively.