It is said that Keegan Bradley has been seen wider than tall taking a stroll through the vineyards of Napa tonight. It’s no wonder. The second day of the Procore Championship has been a statement of intent from his Bethpage boys. Three occupy the top three positions. And all ten at the Silverado Golf Resort are within the cut with half the field still to finish. Really, the only ones in danger are Sam Burns (-1) and Patrick Cantlay (-1). They could indeed be left out. On the other hand, Cantlay is probably the least of Bradley’s worries, as he has already shown in Rome, even if he’s not at his best, he always gives an extra in the Ryder and match play. Burns is another matter. He already seemed a bit overwhelmed by events in Italy… It’s the only shadow of doubt right now in the team.
Ben Griffin (-14) is the clear leader of the tournament. He has dressed as Scottie Scheffler. He is eager to prove himself, probably the weakest link in the chain by name and trajectory. What a way to play golf. What a way to putt. The sunglasses may be big and a bit vintage, as Justin Thomas jokes, but he sees the slopes with sensational clarity. You could say he’s playing a different game. He has a three-shot lead over Russell Henley (-11) and five over JJ Spaun (-9). Three out of three. Not even in Bradley’s wildest dreams. Obviously, he will want this for two weeks’ time in Bethpage, but in the meantime, they are showing him, especially the rookies, that they have taken this trial very seriously.
The matter doesn’t end here. Scottie Scheffler (-6) is in the top 10 and still has a chance of winning, although he has already given up quite a bit of ground to Griffin and Henley. The big news for the Americans about Scheffler is the frustration he showed on the course today. He was frustrated. This Number One of great stature shows that what matters to him is winning every week, even if it’s the Procore Championship, and what also matters to him is leading by example. He knows he is the absolute leader of the team and can’t conceive of anything other than proving it on the course. He doesn’t like being eight shots off the lead one bit. Today he was seen very angry on several occasions. He putted better, which was inevitable, but his short game wasn’t quite sharp. Anyone who thought he was taking this week as a formality was very wrong. Because, to clarify again, it’s not that he missed the cut, he’s in the top 10 and was as angry as a bear with a sore head. No one in the world competes like him today.
Additionally, Cameron Young (-5) and Collin Morikawa (-4) played very well. Justin Thomas (-3) managed to endure to make the cut, as did Harris English (-2), and the only ones on the brink are Patrick Cantlay (-1) and Sam Burns (-1). We’ll see if they make the cut.
