Luck looks to make most of his lucky break at Valspar

PALM HARBOR, Fla. – The first time he even took a glance at the field for this week’s Valspar Championship, Australian Curtis Luck sat 12th on the alternate list. So the tournament was a bit of an afterthought, a shame considering he lives only two hours away in Orlando. And then some players started dropping out.

By Wednesday night, when the PGA TOUR was informed alternate Brady Schnell was in Arizona and wouldn’t be making it to Florida, Luck moved up to first alternate. That put him in a car in the wee hours of Thursday morning. And when Kevin Na withdrew with a bad neck, well, it wasn't good news for Na, but Luck was, well, in luck. He had 30 minutes to get to the tee.

Give him this: Luck, 22, has made the most of his chance. Saturday, he shot his third consecutive under-par round (1-under 70), and he’ll enter Sunday tied for sixth place at 5-under 208, just four shots behind leader Paul Casey.

It’s interesting that Luck has played the rugged Copperhead track at Innisbrook so well, because he’d never seen it before stepping up to that opening tee shot on Thursday morning.

“Never played it. It’s definitely interesting,” Luck said. “I’ve spent my whole life trying to prepare and get to know everything that I can (about a course). At the end of the day, it does show you what a good job they do putting together the yardage books. I’ve put all my trust in looking at the yardage books and trusting the numbers.”

On Friday, he hit only two of 13 fairways, but putted incredibly well (making 136 feet of putts) and managed to shoot his low round of the week, a 3-under 68. On Saturday, Luck's driving was much better (nine fairways), but he said he gunned a couple of early putts past the cup on firm, fast greens and got a little spooked by the speed, which put him on the defensive. He shot 70 and was headed to the practice green to work on his lag putting. Still, Luck, the former U.S. Amateur champion, enters Sunday in position to post his best finish of the season. His best showing in 10 starts has been a tie for 25th, in Puerto Rico.

“I’m excited to get out there and see what happens. I’ve just got to pull a rabbit out of the hat and get a ‘W’,” Luck said with a smile as the weekend commenced. “That would change my year a bit.”