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JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Chesson Hadley played bogey-free Thursday in the Sanderson Farms Championship and posted an 8-under 64 for a one-shot lead in his latest bid to secure his PGA Tour card.
This is the third straight year Hadley has been on the bubble to finish among the top 125 in the FedEx Cup. At least now he has time on his side, and faith in swing that he tweaked at the start of the year.
He had two stretches of three straight birdies on a day of ever-shifting weather at the Country Club of Jackson to move past Henrik Norlander, who had a 65 in the morning, and Brandon Wu, who made an 18-foot birdie putt on his final hole in the afternoon for a 65.
Ludvig Aberg, the 23-year-old Swede who made his Ryder Cup debut last week at Marco Simone, had a 67 that left him a little frustrated. He missed three birdie putts from 7 feet or closer on the back nine.
Aberg was the No. 1 in the PGA Tour University ranking, and thus is assured his PGA Tour card for 2024. Hadley isn’t so fortunate.
The FedEx Cup Fall is for players to secure their positions inside the top 125 at the end of the year. Hadley is at No. 122, with little room for error. He said he wasn’t in panic mode like he has been in previous year, mainly because he has more than a month left in the year.
“I’ve been feeling good. I feel dangerous. I’m feeling dangerous right now,” Hadley said. “I feel like some of the hard work and some of the shot-shape change that I’ve done has paid off, and my game feels good. Just need to keep it going. The gas is on the right.”
Hadley had to tie for eighth in the final regular-season event to secure his card last year. In 2022, he tied for 15th in the final event to get into the FedEx Cup playoffs.
So this kind of pressure is nothing new.
“It’s great,” Hadley said with a small measure of sarcasm. “I’m not as panicky as I have been the last couple of years. We’ve got plenty of golf left….
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Source : cbssports
