PLAYERS: James Hahn taking us on a Roller Coaster Ride

Depending on when you turn on the coverage or check-in on the leaderboards, the players who you are looking for can change positions drastically at the PLAYERS. None more so over the first two rounds than James Hahn.

I’m sure there are people out there who have only seen part of Hahn’s rounds so far, myself included. I knew that he started off his first-round well, and remembered seeing him sitting at -3 for the tournament. Part of this was from watching the featured groups in the morning, grabbing a bit of the standard coverage, and then finishing up the day with a long viewing of the featured holes. (Who doesn’t want to watch professionals hit ball after ball into the water?)

Imagine the surprise to check how he finished after his first-round to see that he shot 76. 76! He turned in a card of 33-43, not something that you often see. From being in a T-3rd place at one point to then being pretty far outside the projected cut line.

It isn’t like James Hahn struggled on the 17th either. His bad nine came on the front nine of the PLAYERS, where he carded five bogeys and a double.

Then, it was time for day two. James Hahn was going to need to put together a strong round at the PLAYERS to make it above the cut line. Likely, that would mean a score in the 60s somewhere so that he could get back to around even for the tournament.

Instead, what we got from Hahn was someone flirting with the best score of the day, where a lip out from 25 feet plus on the 17th made a fair difference in his round.

Starting on the first hole, Hahn got the scoring started early by rolling his eagle attempt to just a foot on the par-5 2nd, tapping in for birdie. The next wouldn’t come until the par-4 6th when he would make a ten-footer for his second birdie of the day. He would wrap up his scoring on the front nine at the par-5 9th, knocking a chip inside a yard, and having another short birdie tap-in. On day one he had a 43 on the front nine. On day two, it was a 33.

Then, on the back nine, he continued to play well. Birdies from three, nine, and ten feet would happen on the 10th, 13th, and 16th holes, respectively.

I mentioned earlier that a lip out would play a large part in the finish of his round. In fact, it would be two lip outs, unfortunately coming on the same hole. With six birdies and no bogeys on his card, he found the green at the 17th, and had a 25 footer for birdie. It looked good the entire way, and caught the inside edge, lipping out. Facing a four-footer coming back, he would once again lip out. Instead of a birdie, which it looked like he had 99% of the way, he had his first bogey of the day.

This put him at -1. Still in pretty good shape, but it had been a crazy way to get there. Three birdies, followed by five bogeys and a double, then six birdies with a three-putt bogey at the end.

All he had to do was par the 18th hole, and he would be comfortable around the cut line, barring a large charge late in the day from the afternoon players. What he did was drop his approach did four feet, setting himself up with a great look to get back to -6 for the day, and -2 for the tournament.

Instead, he would miss another short one, finishing with par, and sitting -1 for the tournament. He should still be in a good position to make the cut, but keep watching throughout the afternoon at the PLAYERS to see where he finishes.