Tourney puts some pep in Weekley’s step
CROMWELL, Conn. — After putting himself in position for his first win since 2013 over the first three days, Boo Weekley was unable to carry that momentum through yesterday at the Travelers Championship.
A 2-over 72 left him part of a three-way tie for fifth with Patrick Reed and Paul Casey at 9-under.
Weekley was within a stroke of the lead coming off consecutive birdies, including from the sand at No. 7, but a 3-putt bogey at the par3 eighth in which he nearly putted his first off the green snuffed out any momentum.
Playing in the final group was a new feeling for someone who missed the cut in 13 of his 21 starts entering this weekend with a share of 37th in Puerto Rico in March his best finish of the season.
“I had myself where I wanted to be, just ain’t been there in a while,” Weekley said. “I had a little jitters here and there coming down the stretch. Just trying to get in.”
Even though the birdies ran dry, he was within a shot when Jordan Spieth bogeyed No. 14, but Spieth’s birdie at 15 and Weekley’s inability to get up and down from the front of the green at the par3 16th ended any hope of the guy wearing a fishing shirt capturing his fourth career win. He jumped from 193rd to 152nd in FedEx Cup points, and left in a better space.
“I feel like I can play again. I feel like I’ve got a little more — little pep in the my step, you could say,” Weekley said. “I feel like I can go out and still compete with the guys. I just need to work a little harder on my driver and figure out why I’m leaving it right.”
McIlroy finishes strong
The putter problems that plagued Rory McIlroy this week are still there, but for one day he scored the way he is accustomed to.
McIlroy continued to strike the ball from tee-to-green superbly, only missing one green on the day for seven birdies in a round of 6-under 64 after playing the first three days in par.
Working with his third putter of the week, he actually started to hole a couple from beyond 15 feet. Despite all that, it was a round that could have been better. Three of the birdies were of the 2-putt variety, both par-5s and the drivable par-4 15th.
“For the last two rounds I started to use a line on the ball, and with that putter and with the little line on the top of it, it just felt like I could match it up a little bit better than what I had the previous few days, and it sort of worked,” McIlroy said. “I felt like I putted pretty well. I took advantage of the opportunities I gave myself.
“I missed a couple coming in that I thought I should have made as well, but overall it was an improvement on the first three days.”
The lone bogey came at the last, on the only green he missed in regulation when he put his second shot into the front right bunker.
It is something that he can build off of, however, as he returns to Europe leading into next month’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
“I feel like the season’s only started for me with all my injury, it’s just been so stop (and) start,” he said following his fourth tournament since the start of April. “So to get into a good round of events, I’ve got a week coming up, and then three big ones for me back over in Europe, and then back over here for a lot of big ones.”
Finishing with a 64 was McIlroy’s best final round since a 64 to win the Tour Championship a year ago.
Bradley in top 10
Keegan Bradley made three birdies and two birdies for a finalround 69, that left him at 9-under overall, good enough for a tie for eighth, his first top 10 since January at Torrey Pines. . . .
Grayson Murray recorded an ace at the 177-yard eighth with an 8-iron. . . .
Charley Hoffman and Mark Hubbard had the only bogey-free rounds of the day