SAN ANTONIO — Organizers of the Valero Texas Open have long been planning a birthday party for Friday night, one with an impressive guest list that includes past champions Ben Crenshaw, Tom Watson, Hale Irwin, Lee Trevino and former PGA Tour commissioner Deane Beman, who won the event in 1969.
The cause for celebration is the tournament’s 100th anniversary, which makes it the longest-running event still played in the same city.
Since a birthday party of this magnitude is sure to come with plenty of candles, it seemed appropriate that Friday’s conditions included a healthy dose of wind to help extinguish those candles.
On a balmy, blustery day, a pair of Texas veterans showed what it takes to navigate such conditions as native son Ryan Palmer and adopted favorite Dylan Frittelli had little trouble shooting up the leaderboard while others struggled at the TPC San Antonio Oaks Course.
When the day was done, Palmer — who played at Texas A&M University and lived in San Antonio for three years — was atop the leaderboard, posting a bogey-free 66 that put him at 10 under through the second round.
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Frittelli, a former star at the University of Texas who now makes his home in Austin, kept pace with Palmer, also finishing the day with a 66. He sits in a tie for second with Matt Kuchar and Kevin Chappell at 8 under.
When asked about how he felt, Palmer said an invigorated game off the tee had him feeling right at home.
“Awesome,” he said. “Bogey-free on this golf course is good any day, but when you throw in the winds we had, it makes it that much more special. I’m excited with the way I’m driving the ball again. I spent the last month and a half really struggling and my results have kind of shown. I’m able to take the left side of the golf course out of play now and I brought it here this week and it’s showing.
“My driver’s back to where it was a year ago, my game’s where it was I feel like a year ago, my mind and it’s showing.”
Ryan Palmer waits to take a putt on the 18th hole during the second round of the Valero Texas Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports
Lucas Glover was another player who finished the day with a 66 and he sits three shots behind Palmer. He said the winds were just enough to mess with players on Thursday and even more difficult on Friday, but he felt the gusts were more consistent in the second round and that helped him find his way.
“Light and variable, you’re like all right, it’s not much wind, but yesterday it was enough to where it bugged you and it was just tricky I would say, coming out of different spots,” Glover said. “Today, we knew where it was going to be. I guess we’re all somewhat type A, we like to go ahead and plan ahead and know where it’s going to be, so easier to do that when we know where it is.”
Another player who survived the day was J.J. Spaun, who is 7 under heading into the weekend. But Spaun fell victim to the winds late in his day, dropping three shots on his final four holes.
“It was kind of blowing all day, but then it picked up heavier,” Spaun said. “It just made it tougher to hit fairways and keep you guessing. Most of it was like crosswinds, too, so you know, if you started too far in one direction, you can short-side yourself. It definitely picked up our last seven, eight holes.”
Wind or no wind, Palmer was just happy to be in a comfort zone, with temperatures near 90 — like they would traditionally be — while enjoying a little Texas love.
“I love it,” he said of the event. “I like it because it’s not easy. It’s a ball-striker’s golf course and if I’m driving it well, I feel like I’ve got a good chance. With the old driver back in the bag, I’m able to hit tee shots I’m used to seeing and not worry about missing in certain areas and it’s showing off this week.”