LOS CABOS, Mexico — As Yogi Berra once famously said, it’s getting late early.
There are just two more events in the FedEx Cup Fall portion of the schedule after this week. and for some players their chances to save their season and secure a card for next year are running out.
That’s why making the cut mattered to a player such as Peter Malnati, who started the week ranked No. 116 in the FedEx Cup and rallied with a bogey-free 6-under 66 to make the cut on the number.
Seventy-four players shot 5-under 139 or better to earn a tee time on the weekend (two more can get to that number come Saturday morning when the second round finishes). Here’s a look at some of the players who weren’t so fortunate.
The second round of the World Wide Technology Championship was suspended due to darkness at 5:52 p.m. and will resume at 7:30 a.m. Saturday.
There are three players finishing Saturday at the par-5 18th, including two (Kensei Hirata, Satoshi Kodaira) at 4-under (cut: 5-under).
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) November 4, 2023
Jimmy Walker plays his shot from the eighth tee during the first round of the 2023 World Wide Technology Championship at El Cardonal at Diamante in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico. (Photo: Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
Walker, the former PGA Championship winner, missed his second straight cut and fifth in his last seven starts. He entered the week at 124th in the FedEx Cup standings and this week won’t help his cause.
He opened with a respectable 3-under 69, which included a double bogey at the par-3 16th, but struggled with the putter on Friday, taking 31 putts and making two birdies and two bogeys en route to an even-par 72.
Sahith Theegala walks to the fourth tee prior to the 2023 World Wide Technology Championship at El Cardonal at Diamante in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. (Photo: Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
Theegala, who won in September at the Fortinet Championship, bogeyed two of the last three holes to miss the cut for just the fifth time in 31 starts this season.
Theegala made seven birdies on Friday but only shot 71, which included a double bogey at the third. He was just 1 of 5 in scrambling on the day.
Billy Davis putts on the seventh green during the second round of the 2023 World Wide Technology Championship at El Cardonal at Diamante in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico. (Photo: Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
Davis, who was a Monday qualifier, is the twin sister of Anna, the winner of the 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur and who is representing the U.S. this week at the Pan-American Games. The 17-year-old Davis made his PGA Tour debut as an amateur and raced to a 4-under 32 start on his first nine.
But the next 27 holes he struggled a bit. He shot a pair of 71s. He made bogey on the last three holes of his first round and despite three birdies on his front nine on Friday, he shot 1-over 37 thanks to a double bogey at 8. Chalk it up as another good learning experience for the future Auburn Tiger who represented Team USA in the Junior Ryder Cup last month.
Maverick McNealy plays a shot on the first hole during the first round of the 2023 World Wide Technology Championship at El Cardonal at Diamante in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico. (Photo: Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
McNealy made his first start this week after nearly a five month absence due to a left shoulder injury and showed some rust on Thursday. Chalk his missed cut up to one bad nine. He played his front nine, the back side at El Cardonal, in 4-over 40 on Thursday.
Preston Summerhays plays a shot on the seventh hole during the first round of the 2023 World Wide Technology Championship at El Cardonal at Diamante in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico. (Photo: Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
This one is going to sting for Summerhays, who plays for Arizona State. He made bogeys on his final two holes to miss the cut by one stroke.
Summerhays, who had his father, Boyd, an instructor to PGA Tour pros such as Tony Finau on the bag, in the gallery, opened in 72 but made seven birdies in his first 15 holes to climb to 6-under before his tough finish.
Summerhays has made 1 of 4 cuts this season as an amateur.
Michael Block plays a shot on the first hole during the first round of the 2023 World Wide Technology Championship at El Cardonal at Diamante in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico. (Photo: Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
“Is even par any good?”
That was Block’s self-deprecating question after opening in 72 on Thursday.
The PGA club pro who turned heads with his incredible performance at the PGA Championship in May couldn’t find any magic on Friday. He made a triple-bogey at the fourth hole and just one birdie on the day and signed for 76. At 4-over 148, Block tied for last in the 132-man field.
Chris Kirk follows his shot from the 14th tee during the first round of the 2023 World Wide Technology Championship at El Cardonal at Diamante in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico. (Photo: Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
Kirk, who won the Honda Classic in February and is safely in the 50 who already secured status in all of next season’s signature events, had a cold putter this week. He took 31 putts in the first round and 33 in the second, which ranked T-95 in the 132-man field. He combined to make only five birdies in 36 holes.
Emiliano Grillo talks to a rules official on the 12th hole during the first round of the 2023 World Wide Technology Championship at El Cardonal at Diamante in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico. (Photo: Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
Grillo, who won the Charles Schwab Challenge in May, and is safely in the 50 who already secured status in all of next season’s signature events, made two doubles on Thursday and shot 74. He’s missed three cuts in his last four starts.
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