NAPA, Calif. — While Kevin Kisner grinded and Troy Merritt (67) and Chez Reavie (68) rallied like veterans, Arizona State’s Preston Summerhays showed he has the game to play with the big boys, making his first cut on the number.
They were among 68 players to shoot 3-under 141 at Silverado Resort’s North Course or better to make the cut and advance to the weekend at the 2023 Fortinet Championship.
Kisner, 39, holed a bunker shot at 17 for birdie en route to shooting 72 and making the cut on the number. Playing for the first time since he withdrew from the Travelers Championship in June, Kisner has a weekend tee time at a stroke-play tournament for the first time since the Players Championship in March. (Ben Crane has his first weekend tee time since the Corales Puntacana Championship, also in March.)
“It feels good,” Kisner said. “But damn if it wasn’t easy.”
Tom Johnson, a 42-year-old club pro and one-time Tour member, didn’t have to sweat the cut line but rather made it look like it was old hat for him. It was anything but at he survived his first cut since 2015 and nearly broke into tears of joy at the accomplishment after shooting a pair of 69s.
“It means so much to me and my family,” said Johnson, the director of instruction at The Meadow Club in Fairfax, California, and the father of a 2-year-old son.
They are all chasing Sahith Theegala, who posted the low round of the day, an 8-under 64, to improve to 12-under 132.
Here’s a closer look at some of the notables who packed their bags and headed for home on Friday.
Golf is a funny game, exhibit No. 2,137.
Putnam, who just missed out on the Tour Championship, is 35th in the FedEx Cup and already locked up his place in all of the Signature events next season, entered the week ranked sixth in SG: Putting for the season, but his putter remained on vacation. He ranked 152nd in SG: Putting this week on the North Course out of 156, losing more than 4.5 strokes to the field.
His ballstriking was superb – he ranked T-6 in driving accuracy and T-14 in proximity, but it resulted in a pair of even-par 72s. Putnam made a double at No. 12 that sealed his fate and ended a streak of nine straight cuts made.
Zach Johnson of the United States plays his shot from the fourth tee during the second round of the Fortinet Championship at Silverado Resort and Spa on September 15, 2023 in Napa, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
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