The Starter: Round 2, Verizon Heritage

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Apr. 15, 2010

The second round of the Verizon Heritage is set to begin. Here's a look at Friday's round:

Groups We're Watching

Tee time	Players
8:30 a.m. ET, No. 10		Jim Furyk, Bill Haas, Matt Kuchar Furyk and Haas are part of a 13-man group that's three shots behind K.J. Choi.
1:00 p.m. ET, No. 10		K.J. Choi, Ryuji Imada, Jerry Kelly Choi played solid in taking the first-round lead, but Kelly is in the hunt, tied for fourth.
1:10 p.m. ET No. 1		Stewart Cink, Sergio Garcia, Camilo Villegas Garcia started strong with a 67, but Villegas (T46) and Cink (T64) could use a better Friday to get into contention.

MORE ROUND 2: Tee times | Inside the field | Inside the course

INSTRUCTOR'S CORNER: Ed Brill, head instructor at Tour Academy Hilton Head, analyzes the playing conditions this week:

One interesting statistic from K.J. Choi's first round was that he only needed 23 putts. The TOUR leader is at almost 28 putts per round, so that lets you know how well Choi putted the ball Thursday. Harbour Town has very small greens, so if you do hit a lot of greens, you have a realistic chance to make a lot of birdies. He made eight.

What is more important in putting, distance or direction? I get almost an even response when I ask my students this question. It is not a trick question. Both are important, but distance is much more important. Without good distance control, you will not even be an average putter. Choi talked about being on the practice green this morning and trying to figure out the speed of the greens. Obviously it worked.

Friday's forecast

Sunny
Temp: 82 high/51 low
Mostly sunny with SSW winds at 11 mph.

A couple of drills we like to have students try at the TOUR Academies. First, the ladder drill. Place four balls on the same line at different distances, 6 feet, 9 feet, 12 feet and 15 feet. Start with the closest putt and continue working away from the hole. Try to roll the ball slightly past the hole if it misses.

Another great way to get the feel for speed is to take the hole out of the equation. Stroke some putts from an area close to the fringe of the green and work on getting the ball up to the edge of the green and the fringe. Work your way out to the middle of the green and stroke longer putts to the edge of the green. By not putting to a hole, your sole focus will be speed. Better distance control will surely mean fewer putts.

The Film Room

	PGA TOUR Today K.J. Choi leads by two strokes at the 2010 Verizon Heritage. Casey Black looks at the leaderboard heading into Round 2. Watch it
	Round 1 Highlights K.J. Choi shot a 7-under 64 and has a two-shot lead after the first round of the 2010 Verizon Heritage.. Watch it
	Shot of the Day: Matt Kuchar Brian Gay talks to the media about his 10-shot victory in at the 2009 event and how he can't let it affect his performance in the 2010 Verizon Heritage. Watch it