Taylor

Moore

Moore’s ball-striking was not up to the task today (just 8 fairways, 13 GIR) but he made up for it with a strong short-game showing. He walked off the course gaining 3.9 strokes putting. “I feel like I’ve hit good putts and they just didn’t go in for those couple weeks, kind of just chalked it up to that. Answering his question, not really panic, just doing what I do and eventually they’ll fall in. Seem to fell the last couple days.” This will go in the books as his first time holding a 36-hole lead or co-lead on the PGA TOUR.

Moore arrived on the heels of three straight missed cuts but flipped the script today. He steadied 10-of-14 fairways and landed 14 GIR. It was his putter that did the talking, though, gaining 3.8 strokes putting by day’s end. “Drove the ball pretty good on my front nine I thought. Got into a good rhythm, and obviously the putter got a little bit hot on the back nine, which was cool to see. Yeah, very pleased with the start.” He gained 4 strokes putting on the back nine alone. He’s tied at the top alongside Monday Qualifier Peter Kuest and this will go in the books as his first time holding a first-round lead or co-lead on the PGA TOUR.

Moore was T33 after day one last week at Colonial Country Club but swallowed a Friday 75 to miss the cut. It was his first missed cut since the Genesis in February. That was a stretch that included his breakout win at the Valspar Championship. Moore also missed the cut last year in his Memorial debut. After this field change, Tyson Alexander is now the next alternate, if anyone else WDs before round one.

It was a balanced attack for Moore today who gained 3.3 strokes from tee-to-green (8th) and also warmed up the flat stick, gaining 2.9 strokes putting (2nd). “Really just kept the ball in front of me... Just did a really good job of giving myself some uphill right-to-lefters and five-, six-footers and had some confident rolls and be able to see them go in, definitely got me in a good place early.” Moore broke out with a win at the Valspar Championship in March and also added a T11 at the RBC Heritage last month. He’s playing the best golf of his life right now and gamers should keep enjoying the ride. He currently shares the lead at the top with two others and it will go in the books as his best opening lap on the PGA TOUR as he’d previously never found himself any better than T7 after round one (T17/2021 Sanderson Farms Championship).

Moore started just two shots off the lead but was well hidden after 1-under thru 11 start to the day. He blitzed the back nine with birdies at 12, 15, and 16 with the latter coming from 26 feet. As Spieth added after his round, “I thought it was me and Adam. I thought it was down to us two.” Moore’s late birdie barrage snuck on the leaders and now he’s a PGA TOUR winner. It was an all-around attack that got the job done, ranking top 10 in strokes gained off-the-tee, approach, and putting this week. Moore’s previous best finishes on the PGA TOUR was a T4 at the 2022 Zurich Classic team event and a T5 at the 2022 Wyndham Championship.

Moore is coming off his first full season on Tour, and his T-5 position through 54 holes ties his career best heading into the final round. The other instance also came in the Carolinas, as Moore started and finished the final round of this year’s Wyndham Championship in a tie for fifth. He now has three straight rounds in the 60s on the par-71 layout after a 2-under 69 Saturday, a round that included three birdies over his first four holes. Moore finished T-12 last week at the Zozo Championship in Japan and is looking for his third top-10 finish in nine starts dating back to the Rocket Mortgage Classic in July.

Moore was just 94th in the FedExCup race after his missed cut at the Memorial Tournament in June. He’s rattled off seven straight cuts made since then, including a pair of top 10s, vaulting to 64th in the current standings. The Arkansas alum is still a longshot to bring home the Rookie of the Year honors but a big finish this week could surge him into the top 30 and earn him a seat at East Lake. Regardless of how he finishes this week, it’s been an impressive debut campaign for Moore who ranks 50th in strokes gained off-the-tee and 81st around-the-green. He’s going to be an interesting name to target next year in all fantasy formats as he’ll bring more week-to-week comfort to the table instead of making his course debut on nearly a weekly basis like most rookies do.

The 29-year-old said afterwards (link below) that he’s “definitely excited to get close to that 70 number and looking forward to next week.” After signing for laps of 67-71-65-66, he’s projected at 76th in the FedExCup standings (up 14), and heads off to the upcoming Wyndham with a bit of a tailwind. For the week, the Arkansas alum totaled one eagle, a ‘3' today at 14 (4'1"), and 23 birdies versus six bogeys, and ranked 6th SG: Tee-to-Green (9.324) and 30th SG: Putting (2.283). This is his third career top 10 in 28 events, all this season, joining a career-best T4 at the Zurich (teamed with Matthew NeSmith), and eclipsing a prior-individual-best T8 at the RSM last fall.

The Arkansas alum, who matched a career low as well as the day’s low round with five others, is in the top 10 thru 54 holes for a second time (individually) in 27 career events. His first came earlier this season on debut at the RSM, where he was T8 before finishing T8 (66-65-71-66), his lone top 10 to date on his own ball, but also finished a career-best T4 at this season’s Zurich Classic teamed with Matthew NeSmith. Thru 54 holes, the 29-year-old, who celebrated his birthday two days ago (July 28th), has handed in laps of 67-71-65, tallied 17 birdies against four bogeys, eight versus one today, including six circles in his last seven, and ranks 7th SG: Tee-to-Green (7.779) and 46th SG: Putting (0.665). See link below to post-round comments.

Debutant Moore, a PGA TOUR rookie, nabs his second career top 10 in 18 events, supplanting a prior-best T8 on debut at this season’s RSM Classic back in November. NeSmith was making his second appearance after a missed cut last year with Chase Seiffert, and records his second top 10 of the season in 18 events, joining a career-best T3 three starts ago at the Valspar as the 36-hole leader. For the festivities, the teammates opened with a bang, matching the then-tournament record in four-balls with 60 on Thursday, eclipsed later in the day by eventual champs Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay (59), and chased with 73-64-68. The duo was 2nd after 18 holes, T8 at the midpoint and T9 at the three-quarter pole, returning to the top 5 today after an impressive five-birdie one-bogey effort.