TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

After Crafting Stellar 68, Kraft Back In It

ADVERTISEMENT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 11, 2008

PONTE VEDRA BEACH - Playing in his first Players Championship since 2002, Greg Kraft made the 36-hole cut right on the 3-over number.

Saturday he took full advantage of the opportunity to continue playing.

The former University of Tampa player from Clearwater started the day tied for 55th. After shooting 4-under 68, the day's low round, he zoomed into a tie for seventh - six shots back of Paul Goydos.

"I putted pretty good," Kraft said.

The recent Puerto Rican Open winner used 26 putts.

He was 1 over for the day through six holes before birdieing Nos. 7, 8 and 9 by making putts of 14, 22 and 11 feet.

On the back side he added four more birdies and two bogeys, at 14 and 17.

At 17 he found water, but saved bogey by hitting from the drop area to within 5 feet and one-putting.

The 68 is Kraft's lowest score ever at TPC Sawgrass in 25 rounds. He previous low was 70.

"Anything under par here is good for me," he said. "On Saturday, that's huge. You come out early, you just make the cut, the greens are softer, the wind's usually not quite as bad. You hope to do something like that to get back in it, but it's still a hard course to do it on."

It's An Adjustment

The fame of budding cult hero Boo Weekley, golf's good 'ol boy from the Florida Panhandle, continues to grow. It's something with which he is not necessarily comfortable.

"I like the attention, but it bugs me sometimes, you know what I mean," he said. "I'd like to just go do my own thing, kind of stay out of everybody's way.

"But it is fun to have it, because if they don't holler your name, than means they didn't like you, you know."

Wising Up

Second-year PGA Tour player Anthony Kim, who won his first title last week at Wachovia, earned a lot of attention last year. Much of it was for an edgy personality and emotional outbursts on the course.

This year, however, Kim has made an obvious effort to change that initial impression.

"I'm trying to be a little less emotional because it takes a toll on your body and on your mind," he said. "I realized when I was getting too down on myself, when it came down to the third round, I was so tired after just whining about every bad break and bad swing I made the first two days, and I had to play the weekend, I was so burned out.

"So through some veteran advice I've realized I'm going to try to do my best to stay positive, even if a bad round comes, because it's bound to come. I'm hoping it doesn't come soon, but it's going to come, and I have to just keep fighting through and be positive, and the good breaks will come after that."

He got a test Saturday. After getting to 5 under, he finished 3 over, finishing triple bogey, double bogey.

Lots Of Action

Say this for J.B. Holmes - he is keeping things interesting.

Holmes made five pars all day Saturday, just one on the back nine. But he shot 1-under par 71.

He had seven birdies and six bogeys.

"It was up and down," he said.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT