PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — The course once again showed very little mercy today, with difficult green complexes turning every hole into a battle of precision. Only 62 players survived the test, advancing to the final round tomorrow, and still in the hunt for the Championship title.
What Happened?
The morning wave came and went and only one player was able to manage to put together an under-par score. David Czech would eagle the second hole on his way to a 1-under, 71. Czech would face adversity with bogeys on his 4th and 7th hole, but capped off his round with a clutch birdie on the 18th to finish in red figures. He now sits at 2-over total and will compete tomorrow during the final round.
Mike Finster was the closest behind Czech during the morning wave after a 1-over 72. Finster is five-over total, and well within the cut line. Meanwhile, Miles McConnell, who rallied late in Round 1 to finish tied for second, struggled in the tougher conditions and dropped back to 7-over. As the afternoon wave got their start, the projected cutline would sit at 14-over.
Yesterday’s leader, Joe Alfieri got his start at 2:05 PM. He would go on to bogey his first hole, but immediately buy it back with a birdie on the second hole, which would mark a trend during his second round. The 2024 Hall of Fame inductee would trade off birdie and bogeys on his way to a 2-under round, which had him lead the field by a demanding six strokes heading into the final round. Alfieri fired back-to-back rounds of 69, making him the only player in the 144-man field to post under-par scores on both days.
By sunset, the cut line moved to 15-over. David Czech and Alan Pope ended the day tied for second at 2-over, while Dave Bunker, Daniel Owen, Michael McCoy, and Ryan Howison shared third at 4-over.
What’s Next?
The field has been cut to 62 players. Tee times tomorrow, Thursday, April 17th, will begin at 8:00 AM and run until 9:40 AM. The awards ceremony will immediately follow the completion of play.
