NEWS
Chubb Classic: Jimenez still on top, Couples, Sutherland right behind
The Most Interesting Man in Golf, the Most Fascinating, and the Only PGA Tour Champions Player to shoot a 59 are in position to win the Chubb Classic after Saturday's second round at The TwinEagles Club.
Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez birdied No. 17 to grab sole possession of the lead after he shared it following the first round. Fred Couples, who had a large gallery following him and playing partner John Daly on Saturday, bogeyed the last hole, and Kevin Sutherland birdied it to finish at 11 under, one behind Jimenez, who is going for his fourth tour victory in just his 22nd PGA Tour Champions event.
"Very nice round, very solid," Jimenez, who's been dubbed the most interesting man in golf tied into Dos Equis' "Most Interesting Man in the World" ad campaign, said before lighting up a cigar after his interview. "A little happy, I can say. I have to say happy because I make 5 under-par. It sure was nice. But hitting 18 greens today and playing so solid and so many chances for birdie looks and I feel like I missed something on the golf course. I left something on the golf course."
Couples' putter got hot after a first-hole bogey. He eagled No. 3, followed with birdies on Nos. 4, 5, 8, 11, 14, 15 and 17. But like many, No. 18 got him. He put his second shot over the green to the right, took a drop because his ball was close to the grandstand, pitched it 6 feet past the hole and missed the putt.
"It was an in-between club," Couples, the 2010 champion, said of his approach shot. "It was a good day. I bogeyed the first hole and I bogeyed the last hole, and in between was beautiful golf. Come out (Sunday) firing and hopefully have another good round."
Jimenez knows he won't be the most popular player in the final group.
"The people love him and I love him, too," Jimenez said with a laugh. "He's a great player."
Couples and Daly, who struggled to a 74 that left him 2 under, were clearly the gallery favorites. Billy Andrade, the third member of the group, was closer to the lead until he put a ball in the water and bogeyed No. 18 to drop to 5 under.
"There were huge crowds," Couples said. "They were all out there wanting good shots and all of us hit some good ones and we struggled a little bit. I feel like I putted better than John and Billy, but we played well and I just made more putts."
Sutherland, who is the only tour player to shoot a 59 which he did in 2014, had a day's-low 63 on Saturday. He had three birdies on the front, another on No. 11, an eagle on No. 13, and closed with three birdies.
"I played obviously great today," he said. "I feel like I played 27 of my 36 holes really well so I have a lot of confidence in how I'm playing and today it kind of all came together.
"One thing I did today, I made some nice saves. Got up and down on No. 8 and then on No. 15 I made about an 8-footer for par, and the hole before I made about a 5-footer for par. So those things kind of keep rounds going, and all of a sudden, you finish with birdie-birdie-birdie and it's a nice day."
This article is written by Greg Hardwig from Naples Daily News, Fla. and was legally licensed via the Tribune Content Agency through the NewsCred publisher network.