Denny Mccarthy grew up 15minutes away from this course. He played college golf at UVA. So he has local knowledge and tons of support (he said yesterday that it almost felt like a Sunday due to how many people were following him)
So he might have the edge there OR it could be added pressure. Many golfers usually hate playing around their hometown because you have to go see parents, hang out with friends, and every single person is calling wanting tickets. Who knows which way that will work on Sunday, but if he handled it that well the first three rounds, it might only benefit him.
If you play golf, you might know of a guy that scraps it around while another guy is hitting pure shot after pure shot...but at the end of the day the scrappy guy wins due to a couple 40 foot putts and maybe a chip in. That is what Mccarthy can do. The matchup could be like a baseball player hitting a gapper but the center fielder making a diving catch to rob an extra base hit while another batter gets a broken bat chop single to the 3rd baseman
List is a solid ball striker. Tee to green this week, he is ranked 2nd in the field in shots gained (+3.39). He's lost .17 shots in putting and that is where List usually struggles.
3rd round played very hard in general. Look no further than Jason Day's +9 after -10 thru the first two rounds. However, including just strokes gained off the tee and approach, McCarthy is +.47 OTT (off the tee) -.49 APP (approach). He is overall LOSING 0.02 strokes to the entire field, even those missing the cut included. Granted, the third round was a lot tougher, but as I said, List is still ranked 2nd tee to green.
The only worry is if List hits a wild drive or two. Look no further than Jason Day having to re-tee after never crossing the hazard on tee shot (ended up making triple).
If List can avoid dumb mistakes like that, he should win. At least that is what the stats say BUT WHAT DO I KNOW?!?!
12:40pm
