by Terry Norris
Matt Hill was determined he didn't want to spend the long
weekend on the beach in the hot sun. On Friday at
the AT&T PGA event hosted by Tiger Woods it was
beginning to look that he was going to be tanning
rather than playing. Matt had opened the tournament
with a one over 71 on Thursday. With a late tee off
it was known that the cut for the weekend was going
to be 2 over. Matt opened the front nine of his
second going a steady even par recording four pars
off the start, birdie on the fifth but a three putt
bogie on the seventh.
The second nine started with a par on ten. The
eleventh as in the opening round provided a big
setback again. Starting with a pulled drive and a
bad downhill lie Hill once again found the water on
the hole to the right. Another double bogie on the
double one hole and Hill was dejected now sitting at
three over par and out of the weekend play.
On twelve a poor approach and chip left hill sitting
a good 20 feet from the hole with an uphill bending
putt.
Facing going four over for the tournament Hill rolled in
the 20 footer to save par and stay in the hunt.
On the next hole, the 13th, Hill hit on a three and half
footer for birdie. This was followed by birdies on the
14th with a extreme right to left 30 footer and the 15th
from 10 feet out completing three birdies in a row.
Hill's red handled putter was on fire and Matt might
have had to call on his attending firefighter father to
put it out. Hill completed his round with three pars to
finish the day at one under and the tournament at par
for his first professional showing.
Fellow Bright's Grove golfer Mike Weir again
struggled with the driver and had to rely on his ever
present short game to salvage another one over 71. This
matched his opening round and left Weir at the cut mark
of two over. Weir tees it up at 8:35 Saturday with Hill
following at 10:00. This being Hill's first visit to
the big show it marks the first time two Bright's Grove
natives have competed and made the cuts on the
professional circuit.
The ever present Tiger Woods leads his host
tournament by one stroke and looks ever so fit and
comfortable being the ungracious host bent to win his
own tournament over all invitees. Woods had missed the
previous year's tournament with knee surgery. The
crowds seemed to have missed him last year but are
making up for it this year as the large and ruckus
crowds were reported at 28,000 for the Friday showing.
