Matt Wallace showed honesty on Friday at the Valspar Championship as he addressed the ball in the pine straw on the 11th hole and then watched it move.
The 35-year-old Englishman immediately gave himself a one-stroke penalty and made a par. Whether you see it as a blessing, karma, or simply being rewarded for demonstrating his integrity, Wallace went on to card three back nine birdies to finish one under par after his opening round of 73. That’s was more than enough to make the weekend at Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead Course..
“I would rather miss the cut by one shot doing something like that, than making it and knowing something’s happened,” Wallace said “So, I called it on myself, and then I made a few birdies. I’m happy with the outcome, and it’s the right thing to do.”
And that’s what has always been unique about this sport.
“You would hope that everyone’s like that. You’re not just doing it for yourself, even though it’s such an individual sport,” added Wallace. “You’re doing it to protect the rest of the field. You’re doing it for your caddie, your team, your family.”
Wallace heads into moving day trailing Sungjae Im by eight shots.
The 27-year-old Korean has now taken the lead after each of the first two rounds, with a 2-under-par 69 and an impressive 64 on Thursday.
Im is a two-time winner on the PGA Tour but arrived in the Tampa Bay area with only two starts this season, both missed cuts, after a long layoff due to an injured wrist from hitting balls on the cold grass in his native country. However, he would appear to be back in championship form.
David Lipsky is one back after firing a second-round 65, while Doug Ghim and Chandler Blanchet are tied for third at minus 7.
Five seems to be the prevailing number for 45-year-old Brandt Snedeker, who made his first weekend cut in five attempts this season. He’s played his way into a five-way tie for fifth place at 5 under par.
“It’s nice to show kids I can still do this every once in a while. But that being said, good golf after two rounds is a whole different thing than good golf after four,” Snedeker said. “So, we got two more rounds to go prove it, so I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
The U.S. Presidents Cup Captain joins Jordan Spieth, Matt Fitzpatrick, Alex Smalley, and Marco Penge, trailing by four.
Snedeker finished last season with only two top 10 finishes and hasn’t won in eight years, while Spieth, a three-time major winner, hasn’t lifted a trophy in nearly four years.
“I definitely hit it better yesterday and putted better today. So just try to put ’em together on the weekend,” Spieth said after an up-and-down round Friday highlighted by five birdies and two bogeys.
It’s anyone’s event to win, with a group of six players, including five-time major winner Brooks Koepka, at 4 under, all within five shots of the lead.
On TV:
The Valspar Championship will be televised on Golf Channel from 1 to 3 p.m. ET on both Saturday and Sunday, with coverage shifting to NBC Sports from 3 to 6 p.m. ET.
