Luck tries to cash check in pro golf debut
SAN ANTONIO — Curtis Luck is making his pro debut in the Valero Texas Open, and at least he knows what to expect.
His last nine tournaments over the past six months have all been on professional tours.
“I’ve definitely got a lot of experience under my belt I can use this week to put a good couple of rounds in and have a good result,” Luck said.
The 20-year-old Australian made his final year as an amateur one to remember. Luck won the U.S. Amateur in August at Oakland Hills by defeating Brad Dalke of Oklahoma, 6 and 4. He decided to stay an amateur to take advantage of his invitation to the Masters, and then won the Asia Pacific Amateur last fall by one shot over Brett Coletta of Australia at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea.
With the Masters behind him — Luck made the cut and tied for 46th — he’s ready to start getting paid.
For the second-straight week, the top stars on the PGA Tour are staying home. Patrick Reed at No. 15 in the world is the highest-ranked player at the AT&T Oaks Course on the TPC San Antonio.
The field also includes Matt Kuchar, who is playing his fifth-straight tournament, PGA champion Jimmy Walker and defending champion Charley Hoffman.
Kuchar’s long stretch began at the Dell Technologies Match Play, where he went 1-1-1 but failed to advance from his group. He missed the cut at the Houston Open and then has shown flashes that he could be on the verge of winning for the first time in three years on the PGA Tour. He made a hole-in-one on Sunday at the Masters and tied for fourth, and then he closed with a 64 at Hilton Head last week.
Hoffman also has had his share of chances.
He was tied for the lead with three holes to play at the Arnold Palmer Invitational until a three-putt par on the 16th and a bogey from the bunker on the 17th. And then at the Masters, Hoffman opened with a 65 in 40 mph gusts — it was nearly 10 shots better than the average score in the opening round — and was only two shots out of the lead going into the final round until he closed with a 78.