He’s completed 2nd greater than anybody this yr. It would occur once more

There may be little or no for Max Greyserman to essentially play for this week (and the remainder of this fall season), apart from the solely factor that has evaded him all yr: a win. 

Greyserman has crept into PGA Tour relevance all season, however in the previous couple of months particularly. The rationale why is easy: he retains ending in second. He landed on quite a lot of golf followers’ radar when he completed solo second behind Jhonattan Vegas on the 3M Open in July. Two weeks later, it was the identical outcome — a solo second — however in a lot totally different trend. Greyserman completed runner-up on the Wyndham Championship after making a quadruple bogey and a double bogey within the ultimate 5 holes. 

He had constructed a 4-shot lead that day and let it slip. “Clearly stuff occurs in golf that typically it’s not meant to be typically,” he mentioned that day, prepared to maneuver on however not afraid to poke slightly enjoyable at himself, calling the collapse “my very own Phil Mickelson in 2006 second,” alluding to Mickelson’s notorious loss on the Winged Foot U.S. Open.

The silver lining to ending second is a bunch of FedEx Cup factors, and Greyserman in the end completed the season in forty eighth, which implies he’ll begin his 2025 season at Kapalua in early January and have entry to each Signature Occasion subsequent yr. He can’t do a lot this week to enhance upon that standing for subsequent yr. Until he have been to interrupt by this runner-up streak and truly win. 

Greyseman completed runner-up twice on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2023 earlier than graduating to the PGA Tour. He even completed runner-up the final time he performed, on the Zozo Championship in Japan final month. 

“I in all probability would have taken [three runner-ups at the beginning of the season,]” Greyserman mentioned that day, “however I additionally would have mentioned how may I’ve three runner-ups on the identical time.”

On the Zozo, Greyserman completed only one shot behind Nico Echavarria, a great pal of his whom he teamed up with on the Zurich Basic in April. He was comfortable for Echavarria that day, comfortable for Echavarria’s household, too. However ask him this week and he’s significantly able to see a change atop the leaderboard, as a result of Echavarria is forward of him as soon as once more, and Greyserman is on the cusp of one other runner-up. 

“I believed that right here we go once more,” Greyserman mentioned Friday when he realized he’d be within the ultimate weekend pairing with Echavarria Saturday. “Let’s go, that is going to be enjoyable. Similar factor two weeks in the past, you realize?”

That Zozo runner-up tied Greyserman with Xander Schauffele and Ludvig Aberg for probably the most second-place finishes in 2024. That’s significantly good firm for Greyserman, who has slowly nudged his manner into the highest 40 within the World Golf Rating, a profession excessive. DataGolf is even kinder to him, score Greyserman thirty second on this planet, greater than 60 spots forward of Echavarria, the man who received’t cease getting in his manner. 

In contrast to his rollercoaster victory in Japan two weeks in the past, Echavarria has performed principally mistake-free golf this week. The El Cardonal at Diamante course in Los Cabos, Mexico is under no circumstances a brutish check for Tour gamers, however Echavarria has but to make a single bogey. In the meantime, Greyserman had performed his manner into first place early Saturday however dropped again with a crippling double bogey on the fifth.

Now by 54 holes on the World Extensive Expertise Championship, Echavarria sits at 16 underneath. He’s not alone — Justin Decrease rode a nine-under 63 to the identical rating and a spot within the ultimate pairing. Behind them sits Greyserman — 15 underneath after a third-round 69 — and a slew of different hungry lads. The fellows not completely content material with their 2024, making an attempt to squeeze one final bit out of their recreation earlier than there aren’t any extra tournaments left.

For Greyserman, with how strong his winless season was, there aren’t any extra tournaments after this one. His spouse is arriving and so they’ll be spending a lot of the subsequent week having fun with trip and celebrating the season that was. All that sits in his manner is eighteen Sunday holes and one ultimate look on the leaderboard. It’ll really feel good however nonetheless imperfect if he sees T2 subsequent to his title.