If Joe Highsmith finally ends up preserving his PGA Tour card, he’ll have the ability to thank an outdated swing really feel – and his school coach for giving him the concept.
Highsmith hit 18 of 18 greens in regulation on Saturday on the World Huge Expertise Championship, a ball-striking clinic that led to a 7-under 65 and vaulted Highsmith right into a tie for fourth, one shot off the lead shared by Justin Decrease, Carson Younger and final week’s winner Nico Echavarria.
Highsmith’s stellar play couldn’t be coming at a greater time, both. He entered the week at El Cardonal, the Tiger Woods design in Los Cabos, Mexico, ranked No. 126 in FedExCup factors, only a spot shy of retaining absolutely exempt PGA Tour membership for subsequent 12 months. That’s higher than the place Highsmith was just a few weeks in the past, when he started the autumn sequence exterior the highest 150.
In his first 20 begins as a rookie, the 24-year-old Highsmith missed 13 cuts and posted only one top-20 end, a T-6 in Puerto Rico, an opposite-field occasion. He then opened the autumn with a stable T-13 displaying in Napa earlier than tying for fifty fifth on the Sanderson Farms.
That’s when Highsmith skilled a breakthrough.
A 2022 graduate of Pepperdine, Highsmith incessantly chats along with his school coach, Michael Beard. With Highsmith annoyed by a two-way miss all season, Beard advised that Highsmith return to an outdated swing really feel – “a pull minimize,” as Highsmith, a lefty, describes it.
Highsmith’s outcomes since that dialog: T-6, T-16.
“Now, I’ve a one-way miss typically versus enjoying the whole 12 months with the ball going each methods,” Highsmith mentioned Saturday evening through cellphone. “… I obtained my swing in a spot with the pull minimize really feel that provides me a one-way shot sample.”
There isn’t a ShotLink this week, so strokes-gained metrics are non-existent, however Highsmith does lead the sphere in greens hit (49 of 54), is tied for first in driving accuracy (41 of 42 fairways) and is second in driving distance (312.5 yards). He’s additionally prime 25 in putts per GIR, a byproduct of some setup modifications Highsmith additionally tweaked in current months.
Highsmith’s bogey-free spherical on Saturday marked his third in his final two occasions; earlier than that, Highsmith hadn’t posted a blemish-free spherical for the reason that Puerto Rico Open in March.
“Totally due to Beard,” Highsmith added.
On Sunday, Highsmith will look to maintain the great feels going. He’s solely performed 11 Sundays on the PGA Tour this 12 months, although he’s coming off a final-round 65 in Las Vegas, so Highsmith is able to enjoying offense down the stretch.
“When you exit and like attempt to defend, no matter, you simply get completely lapped,” Highsmith mentioned. “I do know tomorrow I nonetheless need to make seven, eight, 9 birdies simply to complete within the prime 5 or no matter. Yeah, it sort of retains you aggressive and all that. There’s nothing to carry onto since you’ll get handed by the man in thirtieth. Trying ahead to tomorrow and hopefully hold it going.”
And hopefully, in Highsmith’s case, lock up his card.
