Michael Thompson leads by 1 over Billy Horschel
Trevor Immelman ties course-record with 62
SEA ISLAND, Ga. – Michael Thompson had a bogey-free round of 67 and finished 54 holes at 13 under par 197 to lead by one over Billy Horschel. Trevor Immelman and Webb Simpson are two back, Jeff Overton, Kris Blanks, Nick O’Hern and Louis Oosthuizen trail by four and Ben Curtis and Ben Crane are among four players five shots off the pace.It was a comfortable round for Thompson with his biggest challenges coming on birdie putts, including a lip-out that cost him a shot at the last. Comfortable that is, save for an incredible up and down to salvage par at No. 14.
“I felt lucky enough that I would have a chance for par after my tee shot,” Thompson said of his wayward drive. “I thought I’d be dropping back in the fairway, hitting my third shot to the green.”
But his second shot was in native area, not out of play. He advanced about 100 yards on his second shot, and then got a free-drop from the native area on his third because the cart path interfered with his stance.
“I was just praying on the drop that I'd get a good lie, and it was kind of on a downslope so I really just played like a bunker shot, like a downhill bunker shot,” he said. “I knew if I just carried it on the front of the green, it would roll out to about the hose, maybe a little bit past. Just looking to give myself a putt there, just to have a chance for par.
“Just to have a chance to get up-and-down for par was great, and just hit an awesome bunker shot on that third shot, and it worked out great,” he added. “I was very happy and took advantage and made the putt.”
That nine-and-a-half-foot save for par could prove valuable should he go on to win.
Horschel birdied the first two holes out of the box, then posted pars all the way to the 16th hole where a double-bogey, the only blemish on his day, dropped him one back.
“Just made a quick swing and it went left, and that’s been my tendency this week,” said Horschel of his stray tee-shot at 16. “I’m just getting a little quick from the top.”
Immelman has dealt with a tumor that had to be removed at the end of the 2007 season, then a wrist injury that took until this year to get back to a place where he could feel like he was 100 percent healthy again. Now, he is star
This week represents the 24th start of the year for Immelman and he has been extremely consistent. While he has yet to record a top-10 finish, he has six top-25s and has made 17 cuts. He will finish in the top-125 on the season’s money list for the first time since 2008, when he won his only major at the Masters.
When speaking about his health challenges, Immelman said, “Yeah, ’06 was by far the best year of my career. I mean, I played so solidly. You know, really for an 10-, 11-month stretch there I was playing some fantastic golf. Sort of the last three quarters of ’06 and the first quarter of ’07 I really did some great stuff.
“So that’s really, yeah, time to try to get back there,” he added.
Immelman kept things in perspective while dealing with his challenges, knowing that injuries and less than spectacular performances came with the territory not only in sport, but in business as well. He knew if he let ego get in the way, the struggle would probably be longer than it needed to be.
“You know, whilst I was injured and not playing the way I wanted to, I was frustrated with the results,” said Immelman. “I never really lost belief, I just knew that it was going to take longer for me to get back to where I know I can be.”
Immelman is too seasoned a pro to think that one round, albeit a course-record tying 8 under par 62, in which he carded 10 3s and had a back-nine 29, will turn a career around. In fact, he finished his day 3-3-3-2-3 on his last five holes to go 6-under on that stretch.
He is enjoying the fact that he is competitive again, healthy again and giving himself chances to be in the thick of it and feeling the pressure associated with being in the hunt for a title.
He hasn’t let frustration blur perspective, either.
“Yeah. like I said, it’s frustrating, but you always try to keep strong perspective, understand how, you know, fortunate I am,” Immelman said. “Very fortunate in other areas of my life. I’ve got a very healthy family, obviously pretty much had a real solid career in the first eight or nine years of my professional life.
“So I had a lot to be thankful for, and I tried not to lose sight of that and just work my butt off and get healthy and get back to playing.”
And it seems logical to believe the payoff for that hard work is right around the corner.
Return to Latest News archives