Status check: English’s powerful play will not go unrewarded

The sure solution to just about any problem in golf always is to play better.

Harris English wondered if that would be enough.

If going six years without a win wasn’t difficult enough, English failed to keep his full card after seven seasons on the PGA Tour. He had conditional status at No. 149 in the FedEx Cup standings, meaning the 30-year-old from Georgia could only play in tournaments that had room.

And he played better.

English finished no worse than a tie for sixth in four tournaments in the fall and had another top 10 at Bay Hill. He already was at No. 24 in the FedEx Cup, enough to get into The Players Championship. He opened with a 65, two off the lead.

That was the final round before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down The Players, along with the next four tournaments.

And then the Masters was postponed.

And then four more PGA Tour events were canceled. And there was speculation — there still is in some corners — whether any golf would be played the rest of the season.

The news English wanted — but wasn’t guaranteed — came last week when the PGA Tour decided that no one would lose their card in a virus-shortened season. Players would have the same status as when they started the season, unless they improved their priority ranking.

“There was definitely some relief,” English said Tuesday. “I guess they could have kept it the same. But to bump up my status, that’s cool. It’s how it should be. I shouldn’t be penalized for a whole other year for being 126th to 150th . ... I’ve pretty much got my card locked up.”

Now he can’t wait to play again.

English lives and plays out of Sea Island, where there is no shortage of strong competition from the number of PGA Tour players in the neighborhood. One such occasion was at Federica Golf Club, where a dozen tour players each ponied up $100. English shot 67 and cleaned up.

“I’ve taken a little bit of a break,” English said. “But I’ve used this time to keep it going, to get better, to add to what I’ve already done. I want to get to where I’m rested and ready to go as if I’ve been playing.”