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AT&T Byron Nelson 2017: 5 groups to watch in Rounds 1 & 2

By Luke Norris

May 27, 2016; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Jordan Spieth (right) and Matt Kuchar on the 10th hole during the second round of the 2016 Dean & Deluca Invitational at Colonial Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports
May 27, 2016; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Jordan Spieth (right) and Matt Kuchar on the 10th hole during the second round of the 2016 Dean & Deluca Invitational at Colonial Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 14, 2017; Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, USA; Ian Poulter plays a fairway shot on the 18th hole during the final round of The Players Championship golf tournament at TPC Sawgrass – Stadium Course. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports
May 14, 2017; Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, USA; Ian Poulter plays a fairway shot on the 18th hole during the final round of The Players Championship golf tournament at TPC Sawgrass – Stadium Course. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Jason Dufner, Brooks Koepka, Ian Poulter

Round 1: 10th tee, 7:40 a.m. CT

Round 2: 1st tee, 12:40 p.m. CT

This is a fun group. Ian Poulter is bound to get the majority of the press at the outset given his wild finish at THE PLAYERS and his little spat with Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee afterward but hopefully his golf game will do some talking as well. The Englishman played some solid golf at Sawgrass and his T-2 finish was his best in the last year. He’s missed two of the last four cuts but a T-11 finish at the RBC Heritage shows that he is still capable of competing.

Jason Dufner has a real chance to win this week. Not only is he a past champion at the Byron Nelson, winning here in 2012, but he’s finished in the top 10 three times in the past six years. So he certainly knows his way around this golf course. He only managed a tie for 60th at THE PLAYERS but he’s made 10 of 11 cuts in 2017, only missing the weekend at the Sony Open, and has seven top-25s. Don’t be surprised if you see him near the top of the leaderboard all week long.

As for Brooks Koepka, he’s got to have redemption in mind after what transpired a year ago. As I mentioned earlier, he held a three-shot lead heading into the back nine on Sunday in 2016 and is playing some very good golf right now. In his last four tournaments, he’s finished no lower than 16th and placed second at the Valero Texas Open last month, losing by just a stroke to Kevin Chappell, who holed an eight-footer on the final hole to win. Look for Koepka to be sharp come Thursday morning.

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