Watch: Patrick Cantlay's spectacular 50-Foot putt propels him to -3, trails by only 1 stroke
Patrick Cantlay is one of the highest-ranked golfers playing at the 2023 Memorial Tournament. During the second round of the event, the American golfer astonished everyone by making three birdies on the first nine holes, trailing the leader Hideki Matsuyama by only one shot.
Cantlay is playing with a scoring deficit of six after playing 11 holes in the second round. He started the round on the 10th hole with a birdie and went on to make two more birdies adding under three to his score and making it -6.
Patrick Cantlay made a 50-footer on the 17th hole to make the third birdie of the day. It was an amazing performance from his side. On the first day, Cantlay played the first nine holes without any bogeys or birdies but was fortunate to sink two birdies and a bogey in the back-nine holes.
50-footer from @Patrick_Cantlay 🕳️
He's -3 on the day and just 2 back. https://t.co/KDg9KgAErQ
Hideki Matsuyama topped the leaderboard with a scoring deficit of under seven after the semi-finished second round. Patrick Cantlay settled in the second position alongside David Lipsky.
Rory McIlroy witnessed a moving day on Friday and jumped 29 positions to secure fourth place alongside Sepp Straka and Matt Wallace with a score of -4 after playing 36 holes. He made six birdies and two bogeys.
"Sometimes wins can come in bunches" - Patrick Cantlay about his game at the 2023 Memorial Tournament
Patrick Cantlay was confident about his game ahead of the start of the 2023 Memorial Tournament. During a pre-tournament press conference, he talked about his game and performance in the last few matches. He said:
"I think I've done a lot of good in my golf game this year. A lot of parts of my game feel really solid. Just need to have a week where it all kind of matches up and have an above-average week in a couple different categories. That's usually what it takes to win. And sometimes wins can come in bunches. So hopefully that's the case."
Patrick Cantlay was chastised for his slow play at The Masters in April. His game was criticized by fans and even professional players. The golfer, however, was unmoved by the nasty comments and stayed focused on his game and winning the tournament.
He has gained experience from prior contests and is looking forward to upcoming games. He added to his statement:
"And I think after just a little bit of reflection, if you have a close call and you played really well during a week you can at least realize that your game's in a good spot and take that momentum into an upcoming week."
The Muirfield Village Golf Club is hosting the 2023 Memorial Tournament from June 1 to June 4 with prize money of $20 million.
The second round is coming to an end, with golfers attempting to make the predicted cut of +2. The previous year's champion Billy Horschel is in danger of missing the cut. After 36 holes, he finished with a score of +12. He has six birdies, a double bogey, and three bogeys on Friday.