Cameron Champ misses Safeway Open Cut
Cameron Champ of No. 1 Texas A&M
(Texas A&M Photo)
NAPA, CA (October 6, 2017) - For the second consecutive day Cameron Champ carded a 1-over 73 and at 2-over he will miss the cut at the Safeway Open hosted by the Silverado Resort and Spa.
On Friday the Texas A&M star birdied twice while bogeying once and double-bogeying once. The birdies came on Nos. 4 and 16. Although Champ played solid across his two days he still missed the 1-under cut line by three shots. The top half of the field has been lighting it up with Tyler Duncan leading the way at 13-under.
Maverick McNealy is making his professional debut this week and he will be around for the weekend following rounds of 68-71. On Friday McNealy (T23; -5) got as low a 7-under and at the time he was just one shot off lead but he carded a costly triple-bogey on the 17th.
The former Stanford star will begin the weekend eight shots off the pace.
ROUND ONE RECAP
Cameron Champ had a very good reason for missing Texas A&M's win earlier this week at the Marquette Intercollegiate. The Walker Cupper was instead in Napa, CA preparing for his second career professional start.
The star of the No. 1 team in the country is the only amateur in the field this week at the Safeway Open and on Thursday be started play with a 1-under 73. The solid score leaves Champ in a tie for 87th and eight shots off the pace.
Champ, who finished tied for 32nd at the U.S. Open in June, was part of the first rounds morning wave and he began his day with a nervous bogey. Following the dropped shot Champ steadied himself and with a birdie on No. 3, his 12th hole of the round, he got back to even-par.
Champ did drop strokes on Nos. 4 and 6 before rebounding with a birdie on this final hole, the par-5 9th. The first team All-SEC performer from a year ago bombed a 322-yard drive off the tee and following a second shot that left him just short of the green, Champ was able to set up his birdie by chipping to 5'5''.
With work to do to make the cut Champ will begin his second round on No. 1 at 1:20 p.m. PST playing alongside Jamie Sadlowski and two-time major champion John Daly
Cameron Champ's Walker Cup teammate Maverick McNealy made his professional debut on Thursday at Silverado Resort and Spa and he turned some heads with a 4-under 68 that out him into a tie for eighth.
McNealy, the former Stanford star, is just three off the pace following his six bride, two bogey round. Three birdies of which came on the final three holes of McNealy's round.