Andrew Putnam plays chess during delay, shoots 6 under at Valero

SAN ANTONIO – Everyone else within the subject at the PGA Tour’s Valero Texas Open was enjoying checkers and Andrew Putnam was enjoying chess on Thursday.

At least, that is how he spent a climate delay at TPC San Antonio’s Oaks Course when lightning pushed again his first-round tee time for 90 minutes. Putnam loved a sport of chess together with his center son, Paxley. Then he went out and shot 6-under 66 within the afternoon as soon as the event acquired underway, recording his finest rating in his final 22 rounds on Tour and his lowest 18-hole rating in 22 profession rounds within the Valero Texas Open.

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“This is always a course I kind of circle on the calendar as favorable,” he mentioned. “It’s a course that fits my game. You’ve got to drive it straight, and premium on irons.”

Putnam was sharpest with a 9-iron in hand, stiffing a number of pictures with that membership to 2-3 ft. “I think I had three of them on the back nine I kind of tapped in, and a couple good wedge shots,” mentioned Putnam, who carded 31 on the again 9, his first 9 of the day. It marked his first opening spherical within the 60s in 9 begins within the occasion. Putnam, who began the season with a T-2 at The American Express in January, has been enjoying with conditional standing out of the Nos. 111-125 class.

“It’s been a weird year with the schedule, not really knowing what I’m getting in. Sixth week in a row right now, probably in the last seven years I never played that much, but just kept getting in,” mentioned the 37-year-old veteran. “My body felt healthy and felt like my game was in decent shape. Haven’t really felt like I’ve capitalized on how well I’ve been playing, so hopefully this is the week to do it.”

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He was amongst a pack of 5 gamers tied for the lead till Mark Hubbard completed close to darkness — 23 gamers remained on the course when play was suspended resulting from darkness — and shot 30 on the again to assert a one-stroke lead with 7-under 65. That marks his finest rating in 15 profession rounds at TPC San Antonio. Hubbard, 36, has by no means completed higher than T-25 in 5 earlier begins at the Texas Open. He additionally hasn’t completed higher than T-23 this season in 9 begins. He blamed an erratic driver for his pedestrian play, which incorporates three missed cuts in a row.

“For a while it’s been coming out of both barrels and it’s been ugly,” he mentioned.

As Putnam famous, lacking fairways is a recipe for catastrophe at TPC San Antonio however Hubbard loved a very good time without work the tee Thursday after switching to a Callaway Quantum driver this week.

“According to my game and statistics, this should be a good course for me. I never played it well. I had honestly some pretty bad memories here. I hit my wife in the head with a driver off the deck like two years ago, so this place has always kind of had my number for some reason. I feel like I’m a little bit due here,” he mentioned.

Asked how lengthy it took for her to forgive him, he replied, ““Still going.”

This article initially appeared on Golfweek: Andrew Putnam plays chess, shoots 6 under at Valero Texas Open