PALM HARBOR, Fla. – Doral has always favored those players who hit the ball high and far.
So, no, it’s not Jim Furyk’s favorite course.
What the 43-year-old prefers is a track like Innisbrook, where you have to navigate your way around, pick your spots and respect par.
No surprise, but a week after shooting 18 over par in the World Golf Championships event, Furyk finds himself in the hunt here at the Valspar Championship, one shot off the early lead. Through two rounds he is at 2-under 140 (71-69).
“I feel like I can compete anywhere, but I’m a lot more comfortable coming to this golf course,” he said. “Give me 100 rounds on each course, and I’m going to play a lot better on this one.”
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Echoing his thoughts from last week, Furyk said he thought the Doral course was “very severe” and the setup was “a little overcooked” and the firm-and-fast greens “put a lot of stress on my game.”
“It’s a golf course that doesn’t really suit my style,” he said, which might explain why he has just three top 10s in 13 trips to Miami.
That’s a stark contrast to his record here on the Copperhead Course, where Furyk won in 2010 and has finished 13th or better each of the past three years. In his last 18 rounds here, he has been over par just once.
