Homeward bound
- Updated: April 29, 2019
Anniston CC pro Steven Driggers posts second-day 74, but returning home after missing cut in PGA Professional Championship
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
Steve Driggers was back on I-16 in Middle Georgia a little sooner than he’d have liked this week, but the ride home was a little more pleasant after the way he played in the second round of the PGA Professional Championship.
The Anniston Country Club pro shot a 2-over-par 74 on the Belfair West Course Monday and was headed home to open the shop Tuesday morning after a two-day total 155. He played his last 10 holes of the championship in even par with both of his week’s birdies.
New York assistant pros Alex Beach and Danny Balin lead the 312-player field that was cut to 92 players at 8-under 135 and 7-under 136, respectively. The cut was 5-over 148, as Driggers projected.
“I’m in a lot better frame of mind today than I was yesterday,” Driggers said as he drove back home. “I was pretty pleased that I came back and put a decent score up today. I’d have liked to have been under par, but realistically we’d have to shoot 6- or 7-under to make the cut.”
The West course he played Monday was a little more playable than the East Course he shot 81 on in the opening round the day before. It wasn’t as firm, but the premium was keeping the ball out of the 3-to-5-inch overseeded rough. He hit 15 greens and only missed a couple fairways.
Both of his birdies came on the front side, his closing nine. He hit it to three feet on the par-5 second and made a 25-footer on the par-3 eighth.
“We really wanted to stay for four days, but it was a great experience,” Driggers said. “They really put on a good show over there. … It really makes you want to work on your game and get back to it.”
His plan from the road was to be back in time to open the shop at 8 Tuesday morning.
“We’ll be back at the club tomorrow,” he said. “It’s back to reality and get back to work.”
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