Cameron Champ of the United States plays his shot from the second tee during the second round of the Shriners Children’s Open at TPC Summerlin on October 13, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
Cameron Champ is taking it easy on himself.
He knows golf is hard. He knows he hasn’t played like the three-time PGA Tour winner he is. He knows he has to do something special to earn his Tour card for next season.
Champ followed up his opening 63 with a 4-under 67 in the second round and sits at 12 under, leading in Las Vegas searching for a big turnaround. In 25 starts this season, Champ has made only eight cuts. That’s why he knows he needs to take it easy, especially when things aren’t going well.
“Obviously got off to a great start, but still was kind of just — my swing really wasn’t there today,” Champ said. “We kind of figured out at the end it was a ball position deal, kind of throwing my rhythm off, and I was, not forcing it, but kind of — it just didn’t feel right. But like I said, with the way I felt like I was hitting it, I was just able to score.
“Again, that’s the main thing. I feel like today I turned an even par, 1-under, at least coming down the stretch into a 4-under, which was crucial. Besides that, my game feels good. Off the tee, irons, everything felt great. It’s just one of those days in golf.”
Champ said he felt as if he was his own worst enemy when his game wasn’t there. He was turning decent rounds into bad ones, piling up missed cut after missed cut. He’s working on the mental side of the game, and in turn, it’s showing on the leaderboard.
“It’s all a mindset. You can convince yourself of one thing and you can convince yourself of another. It’s just a matter of what you want to believe. That’s just really what I’ve been trying to emphasize.”
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