BOB WEST ON GOLF: Landry rises to No. 1 on Web.com tour
Published 5:12 pm Tuesday, July 25, 2017
Recent results suggest Andrew Landry might be playing his best golf of the year on the Web.com Tour. He tied for 10th two weeks ago in Utah and was tied for second this past week in Omaha, with a stroke average of 67.1 over those eight rounds.
Landry, who jumped to No. 1 on the Web.com money list ($276,118) after pocketing $39,000 in Omaha, won’t argue with the assessment.
“I have been playing well for a while, and things have really come together the past couple of weeks,” he said Monday from Overland Park, Kansas, the site of this week’s Digital Alley Open. “Sunday was the absolute best I have played all year. I made eight birdies on a PGA Tour caliber golf course.”
After rounds of 67, 70 and 68, Landry closed with a five-under 66. He left several thousand dollars on the table, however, with a bogey on the final hole that dropped him into a four-way tie instead of outright second.
“That was disappointing. Got a real bad break on my tee shot and it wound up under the face of a bunker,” he said. “All I could do was hack it out. I hit my next shot to 7 feet, then lipped out the putt.”
The good news, of course, was that the Port Neches-Groves ex advanced from No. 3 to No. 1 on the money list. If he can stay No. 1 over the next five weeks, he’ll move to the PGA Tour next year with perks that the rest of those in the top 25 don’t receive.
“I have to keep playing well,” he said. “There are several guys that can move to No. 1 with a win. We have an unprecedented number of players who have won over $200,000. Some really good players are close to me. But I feel confident after last week. I think I got my new driver dialed in on Sunday.”
Landry will play in this week’s Digital Alley Open, skip next week’s event in Hayward, California, then play the final three tourneys of the regular season in Springfield, Missouri; Knoxville, Tennessee and Portland, Oregon.
By winning the second event of the season — the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic — Landry set himself up to have a career-best year. The early victory also offered him realistic chances at getting back to the PGA Tour through what is called a “battlefield promotion” (three wins), or by finishing top 25 in money.
In addition to the victory in the Bahamas, he’s had four other top five finishes.
“My good play is finally kind of paying off,” he said. “I knew good things were going to happen if I stuck with the process. I just need to keep getting top 10s and putting myself in position to win. I would like to have No. 1 wrapped up before Portland. Otherwise, there will be a lot of pressure.”
In addition to positive results on the course, Landry is happy over news from the recent Neches Brewing Company fundraiser for cancer stricken Austyn Halter. Latest reports are that the bottom line on the donation for the little girl so dear to his heart will be close to $30,000.
“That’s great news,” he said. “I really appreciate the efforts of everyone who made that possible.”
CHIP SHOTS
Despite another week of solid play — three more rounds in the
60s and a T31 in the Barbasol Classic — the PGA Tour news was mixed for Chris Stroud. The PNG ex actually dropped one place on the Fed Ex points list to No. 142.
Stroud, however, was hopeful of getting into this week’s Canadian Open, after moving up to the No. 1 alternate on Monday. If he doesn’t get in, there are only two chances left — the Aug. 3-6 Barracuda Championship in Reno and the Aug. 17-20 Wyndham in Greensboro, N.C. — to make it into the top 125.
If Stroud is still on the outside looking in after the Wyndham, he will have a second chance in the four-tournament Web.com playoffs that start Aug. 31 in Columbus, Ohio. He could regain a PGA Tour card by finishing in the top 25 money winners in those tourneys …
Timothy Feemster of Port Neches continued his strong play on the summer junior circuit Monday, firing a 75 at Babe Zaharias to win Boys’ 15-18 in the Southern Texas PGA Junior Tour tournament. Jack Burke of Orange finished three shots back in second.
Other winners included Dalton Shields of Port Neches (93 in Boys 13-14), Connor Denson of Hankamer (93 in Boys 11-12), Caroline Ogden of Beaumont (103 in Girls 15-18), Cari Denson of Hankamer (83 in Girls 13-14) and Mya Wimer of Nederland (135 in Girls 11-12) …
Feemster, who rebounded with a 35 after a front nine 43, won the Boys Gold flight in the Beltway Junior Tour stop at Gray Plantation. Feemster was a four-shot winner over Luke Hightower of Sulphur, La.
Micah DePew of Beaumont won Boys Silver with an 87 that was three shots clear of Lincoln Parks. Eryn Garza of Conroe won Girls Platinum with a 116.
In the Beltway Tour’s previous event at Idylwild Golf Club, Brendan Marley of Nederland won Boys Gold with a 74. Feemster was the runner-up with a 74.
Shields took Boys Silver with a 91. Jason Adams of Port Neches placed second with a 96.
Raelynn Hardgrave of Conroe won Girls Diamond with a 75. Tatum Bean of Groves was the winner in the 9-hole modified tee Girls Pearl flight with a 50 …
Rain and the Southeast Texas Junior Tour event on Monday limited the weekly senior games at Babe Zaharias.
In the Friday 2 ball game, the team of Dwayne Morvant, Gary Fontenot, Roger Baumer and Pete Reobroi won the front in minus 6. On the back, the foursome of Larry Reece, Tom LeTourneau, Harry Green and Jeff Greenway won with minus 3 …
The Thursday Senior 55 Plus Game was played in a four-man scramble format.
There was a three-way tie for first at minus 10. Finishing at that number were teams captained by Rick Pritchett, Jim Huebel and Reece. Closest to the pin winners were Ray Darbonne (No. 2), Bim Morrow (No. 7, Pritchett (No. 12) and Ron Mistrot (No. 15) …
The Wednesday Zaharias DogFight was won with 12 points by the team of Michael Glover, Ron LaSalle, Huebel and Paul Duplantis. Teams captained by Benny Sharpe and Morrow tied for second with 11 points.
Winners in closest to the pin competition were Tom LeTourneau (No. 2), Jeff Rinehart (No. 7), Charles Leard (No. 12) and Gary Whitfill (No. 15).
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