Goydos hanging with the older crowd

No, it's not an AARP convention, it's the Players. It just seems like a commercial for The Villages, what with Kenny Perry, 47, holding the lead by one over Bernhard Langer, 50, Paul Goydos, 43, and the clearly out-of-place twenty-something Sergio Garcia.

"I've been playing well but yeah, if you'd told me Wednesday that I'd be five under par and tied for second going into the weekend, I would've been surprised," Goydos said Friday evening. "Basically, we're all still just pace cars right now. But this is a good place to start from on the weekend."

Goydos, who has two wins in his career, sparked his second-round 71 with an eagle at the par-5 second hole. He hit a 3-wood shot that rolled up to eight feet and then made the putt. "That's my second eagle this year," said the unpretentious Goydos. "I'm dominating the par 5s. I might even be under par on the par 5s this week."

Sporting the Long Beach State University baseball cap that he purchased in the Charlotte airport's Lids store on his way to the tournament, Goydos said he got a number of messages from Long Beach alums, including the baseball coach, about the black cap he's wearing. On the bill is the team's nickname, Dirtbags.

"It's rough, the black is fading to brown," Goydos said of his purchase. "And it's hot--it's black."

His previous best finish in nine Players was a tie for 38th in 1999.

Comments

[Ruth Ann Harrell]

The announcers continue to call Paul Goydos "the unlikely" Leader of the Players Tournament.
He is just as likely to win as anyone else.
Please pass this message to the announcers who continue to make unflattering comments about Mr. Goydos. Thank you