API Round 2 Takeaways

After two rounds of the Arnold Palmer Invitational we have two atop the leaderboard in Henrik Stenson and the human robot Bryson Dechambeau currently sitting at -11. It was another perfectly conditioned day in Orlando which allowed for more favorable scoring throughout the field as it was cut down in preparation for moving day on Saturday. It should be a strong St. Patrick's Day showing for the pros especially with notables Rickie, Rory and Charley Hoffman looming behind the two leaders with no big surprises to surpass what UMBC pulled last night against overall #1 seed Virginia in the NCAA tournament. Graeme GMAC McDowell is sure to be the best dressed player out there having seen him for myself last year on this very special day. Here are my takeaways from round two of the API:

Smylie is again, not smiling.

It was an observation I made yesterday in that Smylie has found himself at the bottom of the barrel in scoring for THREE tournaments in a row. After a Friday 81 from Kaufman, he has again found himself exiting a tournament early and is amid one of the worst cold streaks in recent memory. I mean think about it? DEAD LAST in the last three tournaments he's played in. No one is behind him besides the small list of WD's at Bay Hill, Innisbrook and PGA National. In a recent Golf Channel interview, he addressed his current situation in that he's changed swing coaches, is dealing with a lot in his personal life (all positives by the way, he's getting married next month) and is trying to keep it together on the course by showing his mental toughness and perseverance. I've been a big fan of Smylie for a few years, but he of all people could use a quick trip down to Baker's Bay and spring break cannot come soon enough.

Beware of the Hoff:

My guy Charley was absolutely surging in round two shooting a six-under 66 and is sitting in fifth place at -7. One of my predictions for 2018 is that Charley will see the winner's circle again for the first time since 2016 at the Valero. Ask the people closest to me, I would give him a very hard time for always taking the lead through the first and second rounds of tournaments, only to find disappointment on the weekend and he finds finishes no where near the top of the leader board. But then the President's Cup happened, and I did a complete 180 on the Hoff. Originally from San Diego, the guy is just a cool dude and has appeared on a number of podcasts I've listened to which helped give golf fans a look into his personal life and all around chill persona. Pulling for him this weekend. 

Tiger fought hard to remain in contention:

After all the buzz swirling around Tiger during his opening round where he shot a 4-under 68, it was business as usual during round two after a lackluster but hard-fought 72 which was even par. He currently sits T17 and found his putts weren't falling like they should've on Friday, but a solid round on moving day to crack the top ten will position him to be deadly in the Sunday red (Patrick Reed not withstanding).

Leishman really enjoys this tournament:

Have I mentioned I attended the API last year? Well I did, and I had the chance to see how Leishman carried himself around Bay Hill and it was incredibly evident that he enjoys playing this course. He's shot respectable 70's in the first two rounds and I see him making a big move to crack into the front page of the leaderboard on Saturday. The man simply loves playing bunker shots which could save him if the breeze creeps up.

Tiger and Rose could give glimpse into Paris:

The 12:15pm tee time could feature a duo who will be almost guaranteed to be repeated in Paris at the 2018 Ryder Cup later this year. Rose, who won a gold medal by the way, has been one of the most consistent players on tour over the last three seasons and is tied with Tiger for 17th as it currently stands. He almost played the role of Buzz Killington while Tiger was contending for the lead last week but ultimately fell short as did Tiger. Something tells me they feed off each other well and round three should be no different.