PGA Golf Player Stories

The second round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial was suspended for the day at 6:38 p.m. CT. Inclement weather is again to blame for the second delay today. Play will resume on Saturday at 7:15 a.m. Golfers were forced off for two hours and 10 minutes early this afternoon before the restart at 2:28 p.m. This latest halt throws a wrench into Matt Kuchar's mojo. He's bogey-free 5-under through 15 holes and sits atop the leaderboard by one stroke. Fifty-four golfers were stranded, all having completed at least 10 holes. Don't be surprised if there are a couple of withdrawals either tonight or tomorrow morning due to the fact that the cut will fall once 36 holes are in the books. Meanwhile, a reasonable threat for more rain and thunderstorms is in Saturday's forecast.

Dustin Johnson is listed in the published field of next week's Memorial. Johnson has been sidelined since THE PLAYERS where he withdrew before his second round with an injury in his lower back. He then withdrew early from last week's Byron Nelson. He's a gem just about everywhere he pegs it, but his recent unreliability has redefined him as a high risk-high reward investment. He's cashed in each of his five starts at Muirfield Village where his best finish is a solo fourth in 2011.

Louis Oosthuizen is not listed in the published field of next week's Memorial. So much for his run of four straight starts in the U.S. He couldn't give it a go in the finale of last week's Byron Nelson due to a neck injury. Oosthuizen then withdrew early from this week's Colonial. He wanted to conclude this portion of his schedule with a start at Muirfield Village, but he may be out for a few more weeks since he was planning time off anyway to be with his wife for the birth of their third child (due on June 15). He's already announced that he will not compete in the U.S. Open (June 13-16) unless the baby is born the previous week.

Pat Perez is listed in the published field of next week's Memorial. We'll see about this. He couldn't continue in his first round at Colonial yesterday due to a strained nerve under his collarbone. After missing his first five cuts at Muirfield Village, he's cashed in four straight with no worse than a T30 in 2011.

Steve Flesch lapped Colonial Country Club today in bogey-free, 6-under-par 32-32=64 in his second round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. The lefty went 6-for-15 in birdie opportunities today, holing notable putts from 21'6", 13'1" and 33'2" at Nos. 13, 17 and 5, respectively. He strung four together at one point beginning at the 17th hole. It's his lowest aggregate on the PGA TOUR since a closing 63 at the 2011 Travelers. In conjunction with a second-round 66 at TPC Four Seasons last week (where he missed the cut), his active run of three straight sub-70s is his first since January 2011. Flesch signed today's scorecard sitting 8-under 132, one stroke off the 36-hole clubhouse lead. He's in the field on a sponsor exemption, but he has status on the PGA TOUR via a Non-exempt Medical Extension.

Chez Reavie posted a 6-under-par 32-32=64 in his second round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. Reavie is coming off a T21 at the Byron Nelson, tied for his best finish of the season. He split 13 (of 14) fairways and hit 15 greens in regulation en route to seven birdies today, three of which finding the cup from outside 12 feet. The most notable measured 20'9" and 19'8" at the 13th and 16th holes, respectively. Reavie hadn't gone this low in a PGA TOUR event since a second-round 62 at the John Deere Classic in July of 2011.

Scott Stallings spun a bogey-free, 5-under-par 34-31=65 in his second round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. He went 5-for-16 in birdie opportunities today. Three of his birdies fell in from outside 10 feet, the longest of which measuring 23'8" at the fifth hole. After posting 69 on Thursday, he's 6-under 134 at the midpoint, three strokes off the 36-hole clubhouse lead.

The second round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial was suspended due to dangerous weather at 12:18 p.m. CT. UPDATE: Play resumed at 2:28 p.m. Isolated storms cells have been pestering the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The original restart was scheduled for 1:45 p.m., but it was extended due to the emergence of additional inclement weather. When play resumes, Charlie Beljan will be standing over a birdie attempt of 5'8" at the par-4 ninth hole, his last of the round. At even par for the tournament, he's one stroke below the current cut inside which 78 golfers sit. The afternoon wave started at noon. UPDATE: Beljan missed the putt and will likely miss the cut as well.

D.H. Lee withdrew from the Crowne Plaza Invitational during his second round due to a back injury. The rookie called it quits after finding the fairway 281 yards out at the par-4 sixth hole, but he had just carded a triple bogey-7 at the fifth, his 14th of the round. He was 6-over on the day and 12-over for the tournament when he walked off.

Fredrik Jacobson reached the halfway point of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial in 7-under-par 66-67=133, two strokes off the 36-hole clubhouse lead. After going 3-for-3 in scrambling on a bogey-free Thursday, Jacobson finally succumbed to a lone bogey despite missing six greens in regulation today. He's circled four birdies in each round, including a conversion from 24'2" at the 14th hole in the opening round. Today's highlight occurred at the par-3 eighth where he holed out from a greenside bunker for birdie.

David Lingmerth crafted a bogey-free, 6-under-par 32-32=64 in his second round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial to reach the midpoint in 4-under 136, five strokes adrift of the 36-hole clubhouse lead. The rookie erased two birdies with four bogeys in his opening 72, but turned the tables on the host track today. In addition to a 5-for-5 slate in scrambling, he poured in six birdies, including respective conversions of 19'5" and 22'10" at the 17th and fifth holes. This is his first start since sharing runner-up honors at THE PLAYERS two weeks ago.

Ken Duke turned in a 2-under-par 31-37=68 for his second round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, reaching the halfway point in 6-under 134, three strokes off the 36-hole clubhouse lead. He hit 13 greens in regulation today but exerted the brunt of his handiwork on his outward nine. After converting a par attempt from 24 feet at the fourth hole, he jarred a bunker shot greenside at 5 for his first of four straight birdies. That run concluded with rolls from 18'4" at 7 and 15'4" at 8. Duke played the remainder in 2-over without a par breaker.

Jordan Spieth answered his opening 65 at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial with a 3-under-par 34-33=67 to reach the midpoint in 8-under 132, one stroke off the 36-hole clubhouse lead. The Special Temporary Member found 14 more greens in regulation today to reach 31 on the week. He converted on five chances today, including rolls from 21'2" at 2 and 21'5" at 17. However, he also whiffed on five opportunities inside seven feet.

David Hearn followed his opening 64 at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial with an 8-over-par 42-36=78 in his second round to post 2-over 142 and miss the cut. As we suggested on Thursday, he was going to have a tough time backing up his opener given his fortune with long putts while missing four inside eight feet. Indeed, the law of averages caught up with him today. He missed all 11 birdie opportunities and fanned on three attempts inside 10 feet. In addition to four bogeys, he penciled in a 7 at the par-3 13th where he rinsed both his tee ball and his third stroke.

John Rollins settled for a 1-over-par 37-34=71 in his second round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial to reach the halfway point in 6-under 134, three strokes off the 36-hole clubhouse lead. Rollins sat alone in second place overnight, and then erased three birdies with four bogeys today. He missed two attempts inside eight feet and his longest conversion was for par from 12'2" at 18.

Boo Weekley carded a 3-under-par 30-37=67 in his second round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. Weekley was in the zone through 11 holes today, pouring in seven birdies against no bogeys and drumming up chatter of a potential sub-60 in social media. That spurt included conversions from eight yards off the green at 10 and four more from outside 14 feet. The most notable dropped in from 32'6" and 26'5" at the 14th and second holes, respectively. However, he stumbled in with two bogeys and a double against no par breakers. From a positive perspective, he signed his card sitting at 6-under 134, three strokes off the 36-hole clubhouse lead after ending his round with a par save from 38'9" at the par-4 ninth where he found a fairway bunker off the and had to lay up short of the pond fronting the green.

Graham DeLaet backed up his opening 64 at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial with a 3-under-par 33-34=67 in his second round to reach the midpoint in 9-under 131, good for outright possession of the early 36-hole clubhouse lead. The long-hitting Canadian landed 13 greens in regulation today but suffered four bogeys. He compensated with seven birdies, four of which from outside 11 feet. The longest of the set measured 22'6" at the 14th hole and 28'7" at 8. While his distance hasn't ebbed, he's also split 22 (of 28) fairways en route to 28 GIR and 12 birdies.

Josh Teater chased his opening 65 at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial with a 3-under-par 30-37=67 in his second round to set the 36-hole clubhouse lead at 8-under 132. Teater raced out to bogey-free 6-under through 10 holes today before running out of gas. He started the highlight show with an eight-yard conversion for birdie from the fringe at the par-4 12th. Conventional birdies from 11'6", 29'1" and 21'3" ensued at Nos. 14, 15 and 18, respectively. After three bogeys coming in, he wiggled in a par save from 10'4" at the ninth to conclude his round with a relatively good taste in his mouth.

Patrick Cantlay withdrew during his second round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial due to a back injury. Really? He's 21 years of age. Let's just hope that he elected not to push it and it's not serious. He was 3-over through seven holes today and 8-over through 25, so he wasn't anywhere near the cut line. Cantlay entered the week ranked sixth on the Web.com Tour money list. That position is in jeopardy since the circuit is in Mexico this week. If he's able, he'll try again at next week's Mid-Atlantic Championship.

Luke Donald completed 36 holes of the BMW PGA Championship in 6-over-par 78-72=150 and will miss the cut. No threepeat for the Brit, although he really should have been going for four in a row if not for a meltdown on the 71st hole at Wentworth in 2010 when he settled for a co-runner-up finish. This week he hit only 20 greens in regulation and still amassed 60 putts. He poured in five birdies today but still couldn't break par.

Michael Putnam went out early in the opening round of the Mexico Championship in bogey-free 8-under-par 31-33=64 to lead a first round suspended by darkness. Putnam already has three top-six finishes on the Web.com Tour this year, including a T2 in South Georgia. He began his round with his first of two eagles on the par-5 first hole. He added an eagle at eight and birdies at nine, 10, 12 and 17. Given his bevy of strong finishes to start the season, should he hold on and win it would assure him of a 2013-14 PGA TOUR card.

John Peterson carded a 6-under-par 34-30=64 in his opening round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, finishing two strokes off the overnight lead. As we relayed in recent weeks, Peterson grew up on Colonial. That undoubtedly played a role in him receiving a sponsor exemption into the tournament. Today he fulfilled our expectations, hitting 15 greens and curling in seven birdies against a bogey-6 at the 11th hole. Four of his birdies dropped in from 12'3"-14'0". He's a non-member but he has fantasy value in most formats. While he splits time on the Web.com Tour, he's already exempt into the U.S. Open, and don't be surprised if he pops up in another field or two on the PGA TOUR down the stretch.

Jordan Spieth spun a bogey-free, 5-under-par 33-32=65 in his opening round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. Spieth went 5-for-17 in birdie opportunities today. While he also missed two attempts inside 10 feet, he converted on looks of 18'6", 19'2" and 11'5" at the 11th, 12th and fourth holes, respectively. It cannot be understated just how much of a phenom this 19-year-old has proven to be. Unless he wins a tournament, he'll remain ineligible for the FedExCup Playoffs, but his stock is already high.

Josh Teater opened the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial with a 5-under-par 35-30=65, finishing three strokes off the clubhouse lead. If you were expecting a letdown following Monday's medalist bid at the 36-hole qualifier for The Open Championship, think ahead. Teater hit 15 greens at Colonial today and circled seven birdies. His set included conversions from 18'3" at the second hole and 15'5" at 7. He incurred bogeys at Nos. 4 and 5, the second of which as a result of a three-putt from just inside 53 feet. Today's score is his lowest opening aggregate since last year's stop at Pebble Beach over 15 months ago.

Sergio Garcia settled for an even-par 35-37=72 in his opening round of the BMW PGA Championship. This, of course, was his first round since his racially senstive comment earlier in the week. Given the conditions in England today, it's not a bad score, but he saved his round with an eagle-3 at the (in)famous 18th hole. Prior to that, he holed four birdies and swallowed four bogeys and a double.

Graham DeLaet crafted a bogey-free, 6-under-par 30-34=64 in his opening round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. DeLaet buried six birdies and went 3-for-3 in scrambling before finishing two strokes off the clubhouse lead. He rolled in five of his birdies on his outward nine, including conversions from 18'9" and 22 feet at the fourth and seventh holes, respectively. The Canuck has knocked on the door on several occasions but has yet to connect four rounds in a single tournament.

David Hearn turned in a 6-under-par 30-34=64 for his opening round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, finishing two strokes off the clubhouse lead. He hit 13 greens in regulation and wiped off one bogey with seven birdies, but it was how he reached the clubhouse that painted this round as the antithesis of dull. Six of Hearn's birdies measured 11'5" or longer. The set began with a 22-yard hole-out from off the green at the fifth hole. Notables conventional conversions of 39'8", 19'11" and 19'9" ensued at Nos. 7, 9 and 15, respectively, before he jarred one more zero-putt version from five yards off the surface at 18. Meanwhile, he also whiffed on four attempts inside eight feet to close with a strokes gained-putting split just north of 1.250, hardly indicative of his repeated success en route to the par breakers. It's unlikely that he'll be as fortunate in Friday's second round, but for today, he can celebrate the fact that he tied a career low on the PGA TOUR. It's the third time he's signed for a 64, but it's the first occurrence since 2005.

John Rollins spun a 7-under-par 31-32=63 in his opening round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, finishing one stroke off the clubhouse lead. Rollins set the tone for today's late draw. He split 10 (of 14) fairways and hit 15 greens in regulation en route to eight birdies against one bogey. He rolled in conventional birdies from 12'2" and 21'8" at the 10th and 18th holes, respectively, as well as a zero-putt surprise birdie from five yards off the carpet at 11.

Charley Hoffman signed for a 4-under-par 36-30=66 following his opening round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. Props to Blondilocks for reeling in a red number today. He started on the 10th hole and was 3-over after seven. That early stumble included a rinsed tee ball at the par-3 13th where he'd roll in a putt for bogey from 11'8". After a three-putt for bogey from just inside 20 feet at the par-4 14th, he found water off the tee again, this time at the par-3 16th. Hoffman then settled down and played his final 11 holes in bogey-free 7-under with seven birdies, four of which finding the cup from outside 12 feet. The highlight of the bunch was the first one, a 29-footer at 17. He concluded his round sitting just four strokes off the clubhouse lead.

Bob Estes carded a 3-under-par 34-33=67 in his opening round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. Back in action following a stomach ailment that has sidelined him for a couple of weeks, Estes wasted no time in getting dirty. He hit 15 greens in regulation and erased one bogey with four birdies. His most notable conventional conversions measured 16'3" and 14'11" at the 18th and first holes, respectively, but he picked up an unexpected birdie when his pitch from 38 yards at the par-4 fifth found the cup. He's five strokes off the clubhouse lead.

Zach Johnson opened his title defense of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial with a 1-under-par 33-36=69. This wasn't the prettiest of rounds, but ZJ hasn't been playing the prettiest of golf this year either. He hit 12 greens and offset three bogeys with four birdies, including respective conversions from 12'9" and 11'11" at Nos. 13 and 7. He signed his card sitting seven strokes off the clubhouse lead.

Jason Kokrak posted a 4-under-par 36-30=66 in his opening round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, finishing four strokes off the clubhouse lead. Kokrak hit only 11 greens in regulation but he limited the damage to two bogeys. Elsewhere, he picked off six birdies, including on his last three holes. He punctuated that run with a 11'5" conversion at 18. His most notable hole-out was zero-putt four-yarder for birdie from the fringe at 10.

Morgan Hoffmann enjoyed a bogey-free, 6-under-par 33-31=64 in his opening round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. Fresh off a career-best finish on the PGA TOUR, the rookie picked up where he left off en route to a T5 at TPC Four Seasons last week. He went 6-for-6 in scrambling with six birdies at Colonial today. His set included a hole-out from a greenside bunker at the par-4 14th hole. Despite that highlight, it didn't contribute to his field-leading strokes gained-putting split that was north of 4.675 at the time he signed his card. Hoffmann's most impressive conversion on the greens measured 48'10" at the eighth hole, but he also poured in birdies from 10'11" at 11 and 10'7" at 12. He even added a par save from 25'4" at 15 and would eventually reach the clubhouse two strokes back of the lead.

Colonial Country Club member Ryan Palmer thrashed his home course for eight birdies en route to a bogey-free, 8-under-par 31-31=62 in his opening round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. Palmer split 12 (of 14) fairways and hit 14 greens in regulation en route to a career-tying low on the PGA TOUR. It's the fifth time he's signed for a 62 and the second time this season (final round; WM Phoenix Open). Today's gave him a comfortable clubhouse lead as the afternoon wave begins. Three of his birdies disappeared from beyond 10 feet, the longest of which 17'3" at the 14th hole. At the time he signed his card, he owned the longest drive of the day (353 yards, par-5 11th hole) while his strokes gained-putting split sat north of 2.700. He tied for fifth in this event last year and posted a T5 at THE PLAYERS two weeks ago.

John Huh opened the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial with a 4-under-par 33-33=66. The PGA TOUR sophomore has come to life in recent weeks. He tied for fifth at Colonial last year, so the theory of converging trends was realized today. Huh hit 13 greens in regulation and buried six birdies, including rolls from 21'9" at the 14th hole and 19'10" at 16. He swallowed two bogeys but signed his card sitting one stroke off the pace of the clubhouse quad-leaders.

Tommy Gainey crafted a 5-under-par 32-33=65 in his opening round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial for a piece of the clubhouse lead. Gainey was the fourth to post 65 today. He landed 14 greens in regulation and completed his round with a strokes gained-putting split just over 3.800. He got there thanks to a series of long-range conversions. In fact, of his six birdies, five measured 14'9" or longer. The highlights of the bunch found the cup from 38'4" (13th hole), 30'4" (second) and 29'10" (seventh). He placed third in last year's Colonial but didn't go this low in any round. And today's aggregate is his lowest in 47 rounds this season. Since he opened 2013 with a T6 at Kapalua, he's just 5-for-16 with no top 30s.

Marc Leishman posted a bogey-free, 4-under-par 34-32=66 in his opening round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. The Aussie continues to shine. He converted on only three of 14 birdie opportunities today, and all three were of some length. He concluded his first nine with a conversion from 32'2" at the 18th hole. After making the turn, he promptly poured in another at 1, this time from 11'7". His third disappeared from 21'10" at the fifth. For good measure, literally, Leishman added a zero-putt birdie from six yards just off the green at seven. He signedf his card sitting one stroke adrift of the clubhouse tri-leaders.

Matt Kuchar carded a 5-under-par 32-33=65 in his opening round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial to earn a share of the clubhouse lead. Kuchar missed only three greens in regulation today. He offset a bogey-4 at the fourth hole with six birdies, including conversions of 11'1" and 21'3" at the 17th and first holes, respectively. He poised to extend his consecutive cuts made streak, which stood at 16 entering the week.

Carl Pettersson turned in a 4-under-par 31-35=66 for his opening round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. The Swede buried six birdies against one double bogey today. Four of his par breakers dropped in from outside 10 feet, including rolls of 20'2" at the sixth hole and 25'4" at 13. Overall, he hit 14 greens in regulation and signed his card sitting one stroke back of the clubhouse co-leaders. Pettersson's strokes gained-putting split was north of 2.880 when he posted.

Brendon de Jonge opened the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial with a 4-under-par 33-33=66, finishing one stroke off the pace of the early clubhouse co-leaders. If the Zimbabwean were a baseball player, he'd be the guy that hits .300 while no one notices. As one of the most reliable investments in golf, there are no downsides in any format. Today's loop of Colonial tied his low aggregate in a first round all season. He also started the WM Phoenix Open with a (5-under) 66 en route to a season-best T6. Today he landed 12 greens and poured in five birdies. He also missed two attempt inside eight feet, including a run at par from 51 inches at the par-4 ninth where he closed with his only bogey of the round.

Matt Every spun a bogey-free, 5-under-par 32-33=65 in his opening round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, good for a share of the early clubhouse lead. Every went 4-for-4 in scrambling and converted five birdies, including rolls from 20'2", 12 feet and 13'6" at the 15th, 16th and seventh holes, respectively. He overdue for a good week as he arrived in Fort Worth with just one top 25 among nine paydays in 16 starts. He's 112th in FedExCup points.

Daniel Summerhays was the first to post a number at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial with a 5-under-par 34-31=65 in his opening round. Summerhays went an obscene 9-for-11 in birdie opportunities today. His only conversion outside 10 feet measured 11'11" at the second hole. He gave back strokes with two bogeys and a double, but it's hard to complain about that given his par-breaker split.

Retief Goosen withdrew from this week's BMW PGA Championship on Wednesday due to a lingering injury in his back. What started as a hopeful year has rapidly devolved into a problem for his fantasy owners. Goosen withdrew during his opening round of THE PLAYERS two weeks ago due to his back. He had surgery to repair an issue last August, and then made an early return to competition in January. Entering this week, he sat 152nd in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Pat Perez withdrew from the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial during his opening round, citing a shoulder strain. Perez started on the 10th hole and completed seven holes in birdie-free 2-over before calling it quits. He arrived in Fort Worth ranked 66th in FedExCup points. UPDATE: Perez updated his condition on Twitter, writing: "Strained nerve under collarbone. Could be a while. Damn."

Tim Clark has twice finished runner-up at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial and is back for another crack this week. Clark tied for second in back-to-back years in 2008 and 2009 and has six top 25s in eight starts to just one missed cut. With his course history established, the question then turns to current form. Though he missed the cut at THE PLAYERS, his T11 at the Masters at T24 at the RBC Heritage points to all systems being a go.

Rory Sabbatini will tee it up in his 14th Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. Sabbatini emerged as the winner in the 2007 edition and has only twice missed the cut. This could be just what the doctor ordered, as he currently ranks 132nd in the FedExCup standings. Since a T9 at the RBC Heritage in April, he's missed two cuts and failed to crack a top 40 in four starts.

Brendon de Jonge is set for his fourth Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. In his previous three trips, he's made the cut each time with a T41 last year the highlight. Considering he's notched 13 paydays in 16 tries this season, with a T15 at THE PLAYERS his latest result, chances are he will at least earn a weekend tee time. At ninth in ball-striking, it isn't hard to see how de Jonge makes his living.

Bud Cauley returns for the second time to play the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. Cauley's already had a busy week, open qualifying for The Open Championship on Monday. His 2013 season hasn't been as successful as his rookie season, which included a missed cut at Colonial CC. At 124th in the FedExCup standings, he has some work to do over the next three months to ensure that he retains his card for a third full season.

Corey Pavin heads to Texas for the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. The Champions Tour player is a two-time winner of this event, first climbing the mountain in 1985 and again doing it in 1996. His only start on the PGA TOUR in 2013 was a missed cut at the Northern Trust Open and the last time he cashed was a T31 in this event last year.

Justin Hicks enters the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial fresh off a T21 at the HP Byron Nelson Championship. Hicks is 92nd in the current FedExCup standings with four top 25s on the resume. This is his first trip to Colonial CC, so it's a little tough to judge how he may perform. At 20th in GIR and eighth in driving accuracy, there's certainly a chance this could be a nice fit for him.