Surprised Goydos continues to hang around PLAYERS leaderboard

text size

Paul Goydos played the par fives in three under in Round 2. (Getty Images)

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- The onslaught of veteran players atop the leaderboard at THE PLAYERS Championship includes a rather distinguished list of players. Then there is Paul Goydos.

So says Paul Goydos.

When the sun set Friday at THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, several players inching nearer the twilight of their careers were shining bright, led by leader Kenny Perry, Champions Tour player Bernhard Langer and Fred Couples, plus former PLAYERS champion Stephen Ames -- all over the age of 40.

Goydos qualifies on math; he is 43 years old. And yet he sounded like a man feeling a bit out of place after his hard-fought 1-under-par 71 lifted him into a tie for second with two-time Masters champion Langer and Sergio Garcia.

"I can't speak for Kenny and Bernhard, but I think that has more value to a guy who has done it a lot," said Goydos, whose opening 68 was his career low at TPC Sawgrass. "Bernhard has won two major championships. Kenny Perry is arguably there, in the early 2000s, was the best player on TOUR for a while, other than Tiger.

"Comparing their records and mine, I'm more journeyman than veteran. I'm kind of a grinder. I don't know how much value that has."

True, Goydos has just two PGA TOUR victories, and they came 11 years apart with a win at last year's Sony Open in Hawaii largely fueling his 10th berth this year in the TOUR's flagship tournament.

But when the third round starts, he's in a coveted position just one behind Perry.

"Basically right now we're still just pace cars," the native of Long Beach, Calif., said. "We're going to wait and see what happens on the weekend when the racing starts. But it's a good place to start the weekend off. If nothing else, you get to sleep in."

Goydos came into the week with a rather somnambulant game; his tie for 25th last week at the Wachovia Championship was his highlight of 2008. But he's awakened thanks to a hot putter and some key shots, like the three that gave him an eagle at the par-5 second hole.

"I don't play like the holes on the driving range. I know other guys do it but I don't; but the driving range goes the same direction as No. 2 pretty much, and with the hook wind, it was a little easier tee shot and with the hurting hook," he explained. "I was hitting it great on the range, just four or five just these turbo hooks and I got up there and pull necked it a pretty bit.

"Must have got a pretty good bounce because it ended up about a foot in the fairway on the left side basically where Pampling hit a good one. Had 240 to the hole, hit a 3 wood probably as solid as I could hit it, couldn't see it land; it rolled up about eight feet and made my second eagle this year. Made one last week in the last round, so you know, I'm dominating the five pars. I might be even par on them for the year."

On Friday he played them in 3 under par to offset some inevitable hiccups in the gusting winds. Goydos might not think he belongs among the leaders based on pedigree and past performance, but his efforts this week, highlighted by his efforts on the greens (he ranks third in the field), are no mirage.

He's earned his spot in Saturday's penultimate twosome with the enigmatic Garcia.

"Yeah, I'm happy shooting 1 under. If you would have told me I was going to shoot under par and I didn't have to play, I wouldn't have played," he joked. "The golf course was very difficult.

"I'm very pleased with that round of golf. It's pretty tough conditions," he added. "This is what they were expecting and I think you saw even par now might be in the top 20. It will be interesting to see how even par finishes out the week.

"I think the wind and heat is supposed to stay up. I don't think it's supposed to be like docile tomorrow. It should be a pretty good challenge all weekend."

Then we'll see if Goydos belongs with his more celebrated peers. Don't be surprised if he continues to show he does.