Dylan

Frittelli

Frittelli opened his round with a wedge to two feet for a nice opening birdie to set the tone. He would remain steady with his iron, gaining more than three strokes on approach before his day was over. That set up seven scoring chances from inside of 13 feet, and he converted on three of them. The South African has now been inside of the top 10 after round one in three of his last five starts. The previous two fast starts resulted in a T35 at the Charles Schwab Challenge and a T30 last week at the John Deere Classic.

The South African won his lone PGA TOUR title to date on debut in 2019 as a first-time member (not a rookie) and defended in 2021 since there was no event in 2020 (COVID), missing the cut by one (68-71). When he claimed victory in 2019, becoming the first debutant to win the Deere since Sean O’Hair in 2005, he was a pre-tourney 66/1, and also opened with 66 (T10, 4 back) before going on to a 2-shot triumph (66-68-65-64). This year, the Texas alum was a pre-tourney 70/1, missed the cut at last week’s Travelers (73-72), ending a streak of 10 consecutive made cuts on the season, and ticked five birdies today on four (of 14) fairways and 11 greens in regulation. At last check, he gained 2.080 strokes tee-to-green, despite losing 0.646 off-the-tee, and 3.209 on-the-green with 24 total putts, beginning with a par-saver at one from 16'4". See link below to post-round comments.

The Texas Longhorn product split 9-of-14 fairways and landed 11 greens in regulation. The striking was slightly above average but where he separated himself from the pack was on the greens. That all started with a 33'6" eagle bomb at the par-5 fist hole. He walked off the course gaining 2.2 strokes putting. Frittelli missed the cut in his first two trips to Colonial Country Club (2020, 2021) but he’s flipping that script after day one.

The Texas alum, who came up four swings shy of overnight quad-leader and champion J.J. Spaun (69), slept on his first 54-hole lead/co-lead in 105 events. As you might imagine, it didn’t go according to plan, his plan anyway, outbalancing three birdies with four bogeys on six (of 14) fairways and eight greens in regulation. The South African, who was chasing his second TOUR win, first since the 2019 John Deere 72 starts ago, posted a -0.471 SG: Off-the-Tee, -1.570 SG: Approach, -1.620 SG: Around, and -3.660 SG: Tee-to-Green in R4, but did manage a first top 10 of the season in 16 events with a 1.841 SG: Putting. For the week, he signed for rounds of 70-66-70-73, totaled 17 birdies versus six bogeys and a double, and ranked 27th TTG (3.856) and 10th Putting (3.887) en route to his second top 25 in the event in three appearances (T20/2018).

This is the Texas alum’s first 54-hole lead/co-lead in 105 events and will be in the final threesome on Sunday with Brandt Snedeker and fellow Longhorn Beau Hossler. In fact, his highest position thru 54 holes had been 5th on two occasions, including on debut at the 2019 John Deere Classic 72 starts ago, where he was T5 (two back) and closed with 7-under 64 to win his maiden (and lone) TOUR title by two. Today, the South African camouflaged one bogey-5 at 14 (failed sand save) with three birdies at 2, 14 and 17, posting 1.405 SG: Tee-to-Green and 0.303 SG: Putting on seven (of 14) fairways and 12 greens in regulation. Afterwards (link below), he listed “three tournaments, or three groups of tournaments that I want to win in my career, the South African Open, the Texas Open, and a major. Those three are still waiting to be ticked off on my resume, so I’m going to give it all I can tomorrow.”

After opening with 70-66, the Austin, Texas, resident improves to 3-for-3 in the event and will be in the penultimate threesome for R3 with J.J. Spaun and Lucas Glover, chasing Texas native and resident Palmer. He’s eyeing a second TOUR victory in 105 events, first since the 2019 John Deere on debut 72 starts ago as a first-time member (not a rookie), where he was T11, five back at the halfway mark (66-68-65-64). On eight (of 14) fairways and 14 greens in regulation, the Texas alum posted 2.976 SG: Tee-to-Green and 3.060 SG: Putting, carding six birdies at 11, 15, 16, 18, 1 and 2, three from between 10 and 12 feet, and also saved par two times from between seven and 16 feet. See link below to post-round comments.

Missing 3-of-4 cuts to begin 2022, the South African has since rattled off three top-26 finishes in his last six tournaments. With the latest coming in the form of a T-16 effort the Honda Classic, the former Texas Longhorn is finally starting to see some positive on and around-the-green. A struggle of his, Frittelli did not play in last week’s match play, but instead put on a microphone and joined the broadcast. Advancing out of group stage in 2021, Frittelli decided to forgo the Valero Texas Open last season. Now set to make his third appearance at TPC San Antonio, the 31-year-old has made his way through to the weekend on both occasions, collecting finishes of T-20 and T-42.

The Texas alum, who kicked off with 68-70, is a distant nine in arrears of leader Daniel Berger (69) but just four back of four players who are T2. He’s searching for his first top 10 since a major-tying-best 5th at last season’s 149th Open at Royal St. Georges 16 starts ago in July, and was in the top 10 thru 54 holes three starts ago at the AT&T Pebble Beach (T10) as well before fading to T24 with a 1-over 73. This is the South African’s fifth Honda with a best of 11th on debut in 2018, where he was T11 at the three-quarter mark (71-72-67-69). Today, he was bogey-free 2-under thru 15 holes (2 birdies) before back-to-back bogeys at 16 and 17, ending with a -0.688 SG: Off-the-Tee, a 0.163 SG: Approach, 0.728 SG: Around, and 1.943 SG: Putting. The 31-year-old will play out of the fifth-to-last twosome on Sunday with Alex Noren.

Beginning off 10 tee, the Texas alum was bogey-free 5-under thru 16 holes, circling five at 16, 1, 2, 4 and 6, before finishing par (missed birdie from 10'7"), bogey-5 (failed scramble) and par (missed birdie from 12'4"). He’s in the top 10 at the three-quarter pole for the first time since last season’s 149th Open in July (Royal St. George’s) as an alternate, where he was T6 before finishing a major-tying-best solo 5th (66-67-70-68), and the time before that, was at the 84th Masters two Novembers ago, where he was solo 5th before finishing T5 (65-73-67-72). When the South African won his lone TOUR title on debut at the 2019 John Deere, he was T5 thru 54 holes (2 back), and won by two after a 7-under 64. This week, his second appearance (CUT/2019), he’s posted laps of 69-68-68 (MP-SH-PB), and gained 3.069 strokes tee-to-green in R3 but lost 0.973 with the flat stick. The 31-year-old will play out of the fifth-to-last group in the finale.