Surprise Players Cup leader hails from Hawaii

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This article was published 17/08/2018 (2844 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The cream has quickly risen to near to the top of the leaderboard at the Players Cup, with the top three players on the Mackenzie Tour — PGA Tour Canada all in the hunt entering weekend play at Southwood Golf and Country Club.

But, standing in the way of their latest triumph is a surprising name.

Hawaii’s Alex Chiarella followed up an impressive opening-round 65 with a nifty 66 on Friday, putting him at 13-under and one shot ahead of a pack of talented pursuers. Chiarella, 24, is playing in just his third event of the season, with a missed cut and 26th place to show so far.

“Incredible talent out here. It blows my mind. With everyone I play with, we always talk about how we can’t believe how low the scores are. It’s just a really solid group of guys. And anyone out here can win. I’m trying to be that anyone,” said Chiarella, who began the year with conditional status on tour but secured his spot this week by making the cut in the Staal Foundation Open last month.

“My game feels pretty solid the last couple days. I got the putter going. This course suits my game really well, and I’m playing to my strength,” he said.

Light winds over the first two days meant plenty of low scores, with 71 players making the 6-under cut and advancing to the weekend.

Sitting just one shot back of Chiarella are seven golfers, including the No. 2 and No. 3 money winners on tour in Zach Wright and George Cunningham.

Wright tied the course record with a 9-under 63 Friday, highlighted by a pair of eagles on his front nine. He’s been on a tear this season, with six top-10 finishes, including three second-place finishes.

“I hit every green. I hit it really good and made some putts. I don’t know, it was pretty easy out there for me,” Wright said. “I’ve been in this situation a lot this year, so I’m just looking to keep doing what I’m doing. But, we’ll see.”

Cunningham, who won the GolfBC Championship in June, shot 65 Friday. He’s already made three eagles this week.

“That’s just kind of how it is on the par 5s. If you’re hitting good shots and giving yourself opportunities, especially when you’re putting well, you can make them,” Cunningham said. He got an exemption into the PGA Tour’s RBC Canadian Open earlier this summer, where he made the cut and was in contention on the final day before finishing 29th. Now, he’s hoping to secure his spot in the top 5 on the Mackenzie Tour money list and the Web.com Tour promotion that comes with it.

Also included in the group at 12 under are first-round leader Cody Blick, who followed up his course-record 63 with a 69 on Friday, and Ontario’s Michael Gligic, who was one of four Canadians (out of 26 in the field) to make the cut.

With winds gusting as high as 50 km/h predicted for today, Gligic said players could be in for a surprise.

“I think the course plays a lot different in the wind. We had a lot of wind in the practice round, I don’t know, it was blowing as hard as I’ve seen in quite some time. It can definitely play a lot tougher. It’s not going to be a 9-under birdie-fest kind of thing,” Gligic said. “So, if the wind’s going, I think you’re going to have to just stay patient and realize you’re not going to make 10 birdies. Just keep doing what you’re doing.”

Ohio’s Ian Holt also shot 63 on Friday, matching Wright and Blick’s low score of the event and putting him in the large group right behind Chiarella at 12 under.

“Just kind of kept my foot on the gas pedal and kept making birdies. I missed a short one on the last — a seven- or eight-footer. Other than that, it was really solid. Just carry it on to the weekend,” said Holt, who finished second two weeks ago in Edmonton only to miss the cut last week in Calgary.

“Anybody out here on any given week can go out and win and post a number. Doesn’t matter who you are, doesn’t matter how you played the week before or the last six weeks. All these guys are good. It doesn’t surprise me at all,” he said of the low scoring.

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A pair of golfers are two strokes back at 11 under, including Calgary’s James Love. And right behind them is the tour’s No. 1 player, Tyler McCumber. Already a two-time winner this year, he played himself into contention with a 65 Friday.

McCumber is now an absurd 110 under par over his last 22 tournament rounds, and looks poised to make plenty of noise on the weekend — especially if the weather forecast holds true.

“This course’s only defence is the wind. It’ll be nice to see it with some wind blowing. I’m anxious to see how it plays. Obviously, any direction makes this course play totally different. And that’s kind of what’s representative of a true links course,” McCumber said.

The only former Players Cup champion in the field, Timothy Madigan, shot 66 Friday to get to 7 under and make the cut.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @mikemcintyrewpg

Mike McIntyre
Reporter

Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike.

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