Seriously, the LPGA cannot catch a break. Yani Tseng, the world’s top-ranked golfer is halfway to becoming the youngest golfer ever to win four major championships, and some younger whippersnapper fires a course-record 60 at the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship in Connecticut.
C’mon, golf goddesses! Cut the LPGA some slack!
“We playing a major this week and LPGA gets upstaged by amateur Cantlay leading PGA Tour,” tweeted tour pro Paige Mackenzie.
Patrick Cantlay, who posted the lowest score of any amateur at last week’s U.S. Open, did that performance one better when he carded a 10-under 60 at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn., site of the 2011 Travelers. Cantlay, 19, made mincemeat of the rain-drenched layout by posting eight birdies and an eagle.
Some may argue that Cantlay’s ability to lift, clean, and place his golf ball on the water-logged River Highlands course would require an asterisk next to his incredible achievement. But a record’s a record, and Cantlay entered the annals of tour history by becoming the first amateur to post such a low round in a tour event. Twenty-four tour pros have carded 60s, according to the tour.
Reports from Cromwell were that Cantlay was quite calm after signing his scorecard and meeting with the media. Wonder how he’ll sleep on that four-shot lead when the shock wears off and he glances down the leaderboard at the likes of defending champ Bubba Watson (5-under) and other battle-tested veterans? After all, D.J. Trahan posted a not-quite-eye-popping 8-under to join a handful of players in second place.
In case you would like to skip ahead to Sunday, the last amateur to win tour event was Phil Mickelson in 1991, the PGA Tour’s Brian Wacker tweeted Friday night.
(Photo of Patrick Cantlay: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
(Emily Kay is a regular contributor to New England Golf Monthly. Check her out on the Waggle Room, Boston Golf Examiner, National Golf Examiner, and GottaGoGolf websites. You may also follow Kay on Twitter @golfexaminer.)
Related posts:
- Watson wins first PGA title at Travelers Championship; Kerr dominates LPGA Championship
- New England golfer Jeff Wilson fires 10-under 62 to lead U.S. Amateur Championship
- John Hadges Captures Second Career Mass Amateur Championship
- The Players Championship: The Fifth Major?
- Yani Tseng is halfway home to fourth major championship
