While my initial picks at the start of this tournament are not doing terribly, it appears that I may have played it a bit too safe. With the cut looking like it is going to be at +2, two of the three players I chose made the cut with Brian Harman narrowly missing weekend golf with a score of +3. The two other golfers I selected were Mito Pereira and Russell Knox, who currently sit at -1 and -2 respectively, but a long way away from the leader, Daniel Berger who posted back-to-back rounds of 65 to build himself a three-stroke lead. While Berger is likely to come back to Earth a little bit as PGA National is a difficult course, Pereira and Knox might just be a little too far back to contend on Sunday. With that being said, there are a couple of golfers closer to contention that I am expecting to make a push on moving day.
Shane Lowry- Despite the Irishmen currently sitting at seven strokes back, he has the ability to make a big comeback unlike most other players on the leaderboard. Seven strokes may seem like an insurmountable number, but if Berger falters, which is definitely possible at PGA National despite how well he is playing, Lowry can put himself right there if he has anything like his 67 round that he played today.
Adam Svensson- This is mostly a motivation play in my eyes, as the 28-year-old Canadian got a taste of the PGA Tour in 2019, only to be demoted to the Korn Ferry Tour after the season. Now, Svensson is back and having a very solid year so far, highlighted by a T-7 finish at the Sony Open a few weeks ago. Svensson currently finds himself in a tie for fourth and six under par, and with a leaderboard lacking big names aside from Berger, expect Svensson to seize this opportunity and contend in Palm Beach this weekend.
Although Berger has a three-stroke lead and is rightfully the favorite heading into the third round, at a course like PGA National, a couple of tough holes can flip this tournament onto its head. Shane Lowry and Adam Svensson are the golfers I am expecting to pounce if given the opportunity, but I am not completely ready to give up hope on Pereira and Knox making a comeback either.
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