Stroud tied for 6th in New Orleans

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Stroud tied for 6th in New Orleans

By Bob West

The Port Arthur News

AVONDALE, La. — Even an overcooked 7-iron that that kicked into the water and led to a final hole double bogey couldn’t put a damper on Chris Stroud’s spirits Friday at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

Stroud, who had made back-to-back birdies to pull within one shot of 36-hole leader Mark Calcavecchia, still walked away with a second-round 70 that left him three shots off the lead at 138. Not only had he made his first PGA Tour cut of 2007, he was brimming with confidence.

“I got a little too aggressive on the shot into No. 9 (his 18th hole),†he said. “I tried to draw it in and it hooked a little too much, hit on the bank and hopped into the water. But I’m not mad. I’m playing great. I think I have a chance to win the tournament.â€

Stroud enters round three at the TPC of Louisiana in uncharted waters, locked into a six-way tie for sixth place. When he walked to the final hole Friday, he was in a three-way tie for second.

“I’m more focused on all the good shots I hit to move up the leaderboard than that one bad shot,†he said. “I played some really good golf. I’m feeling better and better about my putting. I’m making the ones I’m supposed to be making.â€

Stroud certainly won’t lack for incentives today and Sunday. A top 10 finish would get him into next week’s Byron Nelson Classic in Dallas, anywhere in the top 25 would lower his number for an upcoming reshuffle of PGA Tour School qualifiers and hanging near the lead will get him some national TV exposure on CBS coverage that begins at 2 p.m.

“I’m aiming high and I’m going to continue being aggressive,†Stroud said. “I’m still hitting awesome iron shots but the difference has been the putting. Really, I’m not playing much different than in Houston or earlier events. The success is in the putting.â€

Most of the excitement in the former Lamar University All-America’s round was packed into the final nine holes (the front nine). He’d started on the back nine, made eight straight pars, then stumbled to a bogey on the par 5, 18th.

At the time he was three under for the tournament, and just two shots below the cut line.

“I got to No. 1 and I was trying not to worry about the cut and all the other stuff that creeps into your mind,†he said. “I said to myself I was going to start making birdies and that’s exactly what I did.â€

Did he ever. Over the next eight holes, Stroud poured in five birdies. He went back-to-back at the par 4, 1st and the par 5, second, notched another at the par 4, 3rd, then went back-to-back again on the par 5, 7th and par 4, 8th.

By then he’d caught or passed everybody on the leaderboard but Calcavecchia and people in the gallery were starting to ask, “Who is Chris Stroud?â€

“The birdie at 1 was huge,†he said. “I hit a 3-wood into the first cut and had 120 yards to the pin. The greens were firming up, so I tried to land my wedge about 108. I thought I hit it perfect, but the ball skidded over the green and into thick rough.

“I’m standing there thinking ‘I’ve hit two really good shots and I may make bogey.’ But I caught a decent lie and chipped in from about 25 feet. That one got me going.â€

Stroud got up-and-down from a bunker for his birdie on No. 2, hit a 7-iron to 5 feet for the birdie on 4, knocked in an 18-footer from the fringe for the birdie on No. 7 and stuck a 9-iron to 3-feet for the birdie on 8.â€