14 Aug 2021 | Professional golf |
Drewitt set to secure PGA Tour card
by PGA of Australia
By Tony Webeck
A run of four straight birdies midway through his second round have all but secured New South Welshman Brett Drewitt a return to the PGA Tour.
Starting the final event of the regular season 22nd in the Korn Ferry Tour standings, Drewitt likely needed to make the cut to secure one of 25 PGA Tour cards to be handed out at the conclusion of the Pinnacle Bank Championship in Nebraska on Sunday.
An opening round of 2-over 73 put that prospect in serious jeopardy but the 30-year-old rallied with a second round of 4-under 67 to sit in 40th position on the leaderboard, highlighted by four consecutive birdies from the 15th hole after starting his second round from the 10th tee.
Six-under through 15 holes, Drewitt dropped shots at both the seventh and eighth holes but by qualifying for the weekend has ensured that his PGA Tour fate now solely rests in his hands.
“I’ve looked at the standings. I know I’m 95 per cent of the way there. It’s going to take a lot from other guys to pass me,” said Drewitt, who made nine cuts in 19 starts in his only previous PGA Tour season in 2017.
“Obviously my No. 1 goal for this week was to make the cut, give myself four days to play and the best chance.
“I don’t want to leave it in someone else’s hands. I just wanted to play four good rounds of golf. Didn’t want to think about the number. Let myself take care of it.”
With two more rounds locked up, Drewitt’s sitting in a great spot barring some major moves from those behind him, but still he’s not taking anything for granted over the weekend. He knows what’s on the line for everyone this weekend at The Club at Indian Creek.
“It means a lot. There’s jobs on the line. There’s promotions on the line,” said Drewitt, who grew up in Inverell in north-west NSW.
“As much as all these players are going to miss Pumpkin Ridge and Portland, I think this is a great venue to have the finale. It’s a tough golf course, there’s rough, can be wind, it’s firm. It’s in great condition.
“There are going to be some good finishes on the weekend for guys to get their card and for guys to keep their jobs for next year.”
ADAM Scott made the cut at the Wyndham Championship with a second-round 72 to give himself a good chance of reaching the PGA Tour playoffs for the 15th straight year today.
MAVERICK Antcliff is the leading Australian at the European Tour's Cazoo Classic in England, inside the top five at the halfway point.
OLYMPIANS Hannah Green and Minjee Lee missed the cut at the LPGA Tour's Women's Scottish Open today. Whitney Hillier is the top Australian in a tie for 13th.