NORTON, Mass. – Kevin Chappell was cruising along last week at The Barclays at 7 under par through 33 holes and just three shots off the lead. What happened next still bothers the 30-year-old.
He bogeyed the 16th hole at Bethpage Black, made a double bogey-5 at No. 17 and closed with a bogey for a 1-over 72 to fall into a tie for 10th place and five strokes off the lead.
“I kind of played my way out of the tournament,” Chappell said on Saturday at the Deutsche Bank Championship. “I was really bothered by that and didn’t want to let that happen again.”
At TPC Boston he proved to be a quick study.
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After opening his round with a blitz that included four birdies and an eagle to turn in 30, Chappell rebounded from his lone bogey at the 13th hole with birdies at Nos. 15 and 16 to post a best-of-the-week 64 and move into the lead at 11 under par.
“I couldn’t help but recall the same situation last Friday,” he said. “To refer to it and then not let it happen again is huge and that’s why you saw the emotion from me.”
Chappell, who has three runner-up finishes this year on Tour but it still vying for his first victory, leads Paul Casey and Jimmy Walker by a stroke.
