Hickok’s early look at Tiger’s course paying off at WWT

LOS CABOS, Mexico — Kramer Hickok arrived early to scout Tiger Woods’ new course for the PGA Tour and his strategy seems to be paying off. He showcased another flawless performance on Friday, shooting a remarkable 5-under 67 to set the pace at the World Wide Technology Championship.

Hickok managed to conquer two of the par 5s and strategically handled some of the shorter par 4s with his trusty wedge, ultimately reaching an impressive score of 12-under 132. This puts him one shot ahead of Ludvig Åberg of Sweden and Monday qualifier Jeffrey Kang, who are tied for second place.

Despite a decline in performance from his previous round, 49-year-old Australian golfer Cameron Percy is still in a favorable position. He shot a 72 and currently sits two shots behind Hickok.

As for Camilo Villegas, he is among the golfers playing in the afternoon at El Cardonal at Diamante. This course holds historical significance as it is the first course designed by Tiger Woods that is being used for a PGA Tour event.

El Cardonal at Diamante was designed with the intention of providing an enjoyable and strategic experience for golfers. However, with the absence of strong winds, the usual defense mechanism of the course located near the Pacific Ocean, players are finding it relatively easy. The projected cut is expected to fall at 5 under par.

Hickok is still in search of his first PGA Tour title. Two years ago, he experienced an agonizing loss in an eight-hole playoff against Harris English at the Travelers Championship. Despite this setback, Hickok remained optimistic, believing that victory was just around the corner. Unfortunately, he entered this FedExCup Fall event in danger of losing his professional golfing status, currently standing at No. 144 in the standings.

“It’s like you keep working, keep working, you don’t see any results, and then finally it’s like, boom, looks like overnight success. That’s sort of what I feel like’s going on now,” expressed Hickok.

He left nothing to chance when it came to preparation. Hickok arrived early at a nearby resort, where he has strong connections, and took advantage of the opportunity to familiarize himself with El Cardonal. Being the first time for everyone playing on this course, Hickok spent a commendable six or seven hours studying its intricacies.

“Since everyone is starting at the same spot, I really wanted to get a head start on that,” he explained.

Åberg, the reigning top college player, recently completed his tenure at Texas Tech and turned professional in June. Just four months later, he found himself celebrating victory with his European teammates at the Ryder Cup. His card is secured for the next year, but he dreams of winning a PGA Tour event to add to his triumph on the European tour in Switzerland. Additionally, he aims to participate in the Masters by consistently climbing the world rankings and securing a spot in the top 50.

Doug Ghim, who sits at No. 133 in the FedExCup standings, joins Åberg at 11-under 133. The top 125 golfers in the standings will retain full PGA Tour cards for 2024, and this week’s tournament is one of the final two opportunities for players to secure their spots.

Jeffrey Kang’s story is particularly intriguing. Having qualified on Monday, he has been playing professional golf on various tours around the world for almost a decade since leaving USC. The PGA Tour is the ninth tour he has participated in, primarily in Canada and various Asian circuits. His only victory to date was at the Chengdu Championship on the former PGA Tour China series in 2018, where he received a check for approximately $40,000, the largest of his career.

“Hopefully, this is even bigger,” Kang commented, as he made his first cut on the PGA Tour and remains in contention heading into the weekend.