Masters champion Charl Schwartzel has been around the TPC Boston long enough this week to know that a fairway club is the best option off the tee on the 356-yard first hole.
Saturday was the first time he played the hole while furious — he had just made a sloppy bogey on the par-5 18th and was losing ground in the Deutsche Bank Championship.
“I was, to say the least, fairly upset,” Schwartzel said. “It’s sometimes very crucial to come back straightaway, otherwise your round can get away from you. The birdie on the first just got me going in the right mindset again.”
He turned that into a string of birdies — five in a six-hole stretch on the front nine — that carried the South African to another 5-under 66 and a share of the lead with Adam Scott and Bubba Watson.
Watson, who played in the morning, produced what he called a “boring” round of 64 that included an eagle on the seventh hole for the second straight day.
Scott, who won on the same course in Norton, Mass., eight years ago for his first PGA Tour victory, played the 18th to perfection for an eagle, then kept moving up the leaderboard with enough birdies on the front nine for an 8-under 63, the low round of the tournament.
Schwartzel knows enough about the FedEx Cup — this is the second of four playoff events — that he could miss the opening tournament last week and still win the $10 million prize. That’s what Tiger Woods did in 2007 and what Jim Furyk did last year, although the latter was not planned.
He has a big fall schedule in front of him, so Schwartzel figured he needed some rest. His first playoff event is going far better than expected.
“Maybe it’s an omen,” he said with a smile.
The top 70 on the FedEx Cup list after this event ends Monday will advance to the third playoff event outside Chicago in two weeks, with the top 30 from there going to Atlanta for a shot at the $10 million prize.
The morning was filled with cheers, mostly at the par-3 16th hole.
Brandt Snedeker hit 9-iron from 146 yards, and the ball spun back to the right and into the cup. Some 20 minutes later, Greg Chalmers also made an ace.
WELSHMAN LEADS
Jamie Donaldson shot a 6-under 65 to pass Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy and lead the European Masters after three rounds in Crans-sur-Sierre, Switzerland.
Donaldson, a 35-year-old Welshman seeking his first career victory, was at 14 under and one shot ahead of Westwood. McIlroy was another stroke back in third on a sun-baked day in the Alps.
A downpour soaked the course soon after fans left at the end of the round. Donaldson will be playing in a final group today. Tee times were moved earlier to avoid the worst of forecast storms.
“I’m the underdog, in effect, even though I’m winning by one,” Donaldson said. “It’s awesome. You are playing with two of the greatest players at the moment.”
Westwood, ranked No. 2, had seven birdies, including all four par-5s, in a 64 that was the day’s best round.
“It’s always nice to play a round with no 5s and no bogeys, especially on a course like this that can trip you up,” Westwood said.
McIlroy began the day in a four-way tie for the lead at 8 under, but the U.S. Open winner dropped shots at the 16th and 17th in his 67.
“It wasn’t the greatest way to finish, but I’m still in there,” he said.
TRACKING LOCALS on the PGA Tour
THIS WEEK: The Deutsche Bank Championship, through Monday, TPC Boston, Norton, Mass. – the second leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs.
In the field: Puyallup’s Ryan Moore and Gig Harbor’s Kyle Stanley.
Moore’s second-round score: 3-under-par 68.
Stanley’s second-round score: Even-par 71.
Position: Moore (6-under 136) is tied for 11th, and Stanley (3-under 139) is tied for 33rd – all trailing co-leaders Charl Schwartzel, Adam Scott and Bubba Watson (10-under 132).
Recap: Just as he did Friday, Moore turned on the jets late, making a few birdies to record his second consecutive 68. And all the birdies came on putts of similar length – roughly 11 feet – at No. 4 (up-and-down out of bunker on short par 4), No. 7 (short wedge third shot to long par 5) and No. 8 (5-iron tee shot on long par 3). … It was a real up-and-down round for Stanley, the former Bellarmine Prep star, who had four birdies and four bogeys. He was 1-under late in his round before he bogeyed the eighth hole from behind the green.
Tee times today: Moore goes off at 9:40 a.m. (PDT) with Luke Donald; Stanley goes at 7:30 a.m. with Dustin Johnson.
Todd Milles, staff writer
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