Sahith Theegala, Michael Block among notables who missed cut at 2023 World Wide Technology Championship

LOS CABOS, Mexico — As Yogi Berra once famously said, “it’s getting late early.” There are only two events left in the FedEx Cup Fall portion of the schedule after this week, and for some players, time is running out to save their season and secure a card for next year. That’s why making the cut was crucial for players like Peter Malnati, who started the week ranked No. 116 in the FedEx Cup. He rallied with a bogey-free 6-under 66 to make the cut on the number. Seventy-four players shot 5-under 139 or better to earn a tee time on the weekend (two more can reach that number by Saturday morning when the second round finishes). Let’s take a closer look at some of the players who unfortunately missed the cut.

The second round of the World Wide Technology Championship was suspended due to darkness at 5:52 p.m. and will resume at 7:30 a.m. Saturday. There are three players finishing Saturday at the par-5 18th, including two players (Kensei Hirata, Satoshi Kodaira) at 4-under (cut: 5-under).

Jimmy Walker (3 under)
Jimmy Walker, the former PGA Championship winner, missed his second straight cut and fifth in his last seven starts. He entered the week at 124th in the FedEx Cup standings, and this week won’t help his cause. He opened with a respectable 3-under 69, which included a double bogey at the par-3 16th, but struggled with the putter on Friday, taking 31 putts and making two birdies and two bogeys en route to an even-par 72.

Sahith Theegala (3 under)
Sahith Theegala, who won in September at the Fortinet Championship, bogeyed two of the last three holes to miss the cut for just the fifth time in 31 starts this season. Theegala made seven birdies on Friday but only shot 71, which included a double bogey at the third. He was just 1 of 5 in scrambling on the day.

Billy Davis (2 under)
Billy Davis, who was a Monday qualifier, is the twin sister of Anna, the winner of the 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur, and who is representing the U.S. this week at the Pan-American Games. The 17-year-old Davis made his PGA Tour debut as an amateur and raced to a 4-under 32 start on his first nine. But the next 27 holes were a struggle. He shot a pair of 71s, making bogey on the last three holes of his first round. Despite three birdies on his front nine on Friday, he shot 1-over 37 thanks to a double bogey at 8. Chalk it up as another good learning experience for the future Auburn Tiger who represented Team USA in the Junior Ryder Cup last month.

Maverick McNealy (2 under)
Maverick McNealy made his first start this week after nearly a five-month absence due to a left shoulder injury and showed some rust on Thursday. Chalk his missed cut up to one bad nine. He played his front nine, the backside at El Cardonal, in 4-over 40 on Thursday.

Preston Summerhays (4 under)
This one is going to sting for Summerhays, who plays for Arizona State. He made bogeys on his final two holes to miss the cut by one stroke. Summerhays opened with a 72 but made seven birdies in his first 15 holes to climb to 6-under before his tough finish. Summerhays has made 1 of 4 cuts this season as an amateur.

Michael Block (4 over)
“Is even par any good?” That was Block’s self-deprecating question after opening in 72 on Thursday. The PGA club pro who turned heads with his incredible performance at the PGA Championship in May couldn’t find any magic on Friday. He made a triple-bogey at the fourth hole and just one birdie on the day, signing for 76. At 4-over 148, Block tied for last in the 132-man field.

Chris Kirk (even)
Kirk, who won the Honda Classic in February and is safely in the top 50 who already secured status in next season’s signature events, struggled with a cold putter this week. He took 31 putts in the first round and 33 in the second, which ranked T-95 in the 132-man field. He only made five birdies in 36 holes.

Emiliano Grillo (even)
Grillo, who won the Charles Schwab Challenge in May and is also safely in the top 50, made two doubles on Thursday and shot 74. He has missed three cuts in his last four starts.

[Story originally appeared on GolfWeek]

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Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller takes readers to the greens with his passion for golf. He offers coverage of major golf tournaments, player achievements, and insights into the sport’s rich history, making him a trusted source for golf enthusiasts.