Pierceson Coody cards best round as TOUR professional Friday at Charles Schwab Challenge
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FORT WORTH, Texas — Pierceson Coody fired his best round as a TOUR professional Friday, a 5-under 65, with dusk approaching at the Charles Schwab Challenge.
On the strength of three straight birdies to finish after a short weather delay, the 24-year-old Coody nudged into a share of second place at 8-under par. It put him a step closer to his best tournament in his young career; he tied for 14th last season at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.
“It's a nice feeling because the season hasn't been what I wanted it to this year, and to know that my game's going the right direction, it's great,” said Coody, who’s made eight cuts in 22 starts on TOUR after a stellar career at the University of Texas.
“I'm trying to stay kind of in a process mindset with everything and just build because I know I still have a lot of events left and an opportunity to go win the tournament is a great feeling,” he said.
After a suspension of play at 5:04 p.m. local time, Coody made a long birdie putt at the par-3 16th with his grandfather, 1971 Masters champion Charles Coody, watching from a seat near the green with an old persimmon fairway wood in his hand. Pierceson Coody birdied the 17th with a putt just inside 4 feet. His approach shot on the par-4 18th nearly plunked into the hole, leaving him a 3-footer for three in a row — and his best 36-hole position in two years on TOUR.
Coody, who grew up in nearby Plano, Texas, said the still conditions after the weather delay gave him the confidence to be aggressive.
“It was nice to see some of my wedge shots and approach shots kind of end up in a spot that I could roll a few extra birdies in,” he said.
His twin brother, Parker, played in the group behind him. Parker Coody made the cut at 2-over on the number, the second time the twins have made a cut together. They also did it at the Valero Texas Open, where Pierceson Coody finished in 74th place.
Parker Coody plays Round 1 in front of grandfather, Charles, at Charles Schwab
Coody, who shot 67 in the first round, said playing Colonial Country Club is a privilege, given his grandfather’s fondness for the course. An uncle took Charles Coody from Abilene to the tournament when he was 14 years old, inspiring a career of 639 starts and three wins.
Charles Coody played college golf at TCU, just a few miles south of Colonial.
"I'm just happy that I'm taking advantage of the opportunity," said Pierceson Coody said.
The opportunity’s just beginning.