Former Wahoo McCarthy tied for 2nd heading into Sunday’s final round of John Deere Classic

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Former UVA All-American Denny McCarthy is playing some of the best golf in his life, while hoping he can go low in Sunday’s final round of the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Ill.

McCarthy is tied for second place at 16-under par and trails J.T. Poston by three shots. Poston, who had a clutch eagle at the 17th Saturday to preserve his lead, is attempting to become the first golfer to lead the John Deere event wire-to-wire since David Frost in 1992.

McCarthy, who posted top-10 finishes at both the Memorial and U.S. Open, is seeking his first PGA Tour victory. He believes his play in those tournaments will help him in Sunday’s final round.

“I’ve now been in this kind of spot for two of my last three tournaments where I was in the mix on the weekend and having a chance to win,” said McCarthy, who hit all 18 greens in regulation Saturday and birdied the final two holes en route to a 5-under round of 66. “The more and more I put myself in this situation, the more comfortable I’m going to be.”

McCarthy, who is sharing a house this week with Poston and several other players, including good friend and former UVA teammate Ben Kohles, knows the task at hand. He will have to post another sub-70 round to get that first elusive win. His three rounds this week have been 66-65-66.

“I played with J.T. today. He’s playing really well, so I know he’s going to come out and make some birdies tomorrow, so I can’t expect him to make a bunch of pars,” McCarthy said. “I know the way he is hitting it and the way he putts as well, he’s going to make some birdies. I’m going to have to go out and be aggressive and make some birdies early to maybe put some pressure on him.

“If I keep doing what I’ve been doing, making committed free swings, that’s the headspace I’ve been in, and I look forward to the challenge of doing that again tomorrow.”

The 29-year-old McCarthy said that freeing up his swing has been instrumental in his recent streak, including at the U.S. Open.

“I wasn’t thinking about [the outcome], I was really calm and comfortable coming down the stretch,” the former Wahoo said. “I felt like I could win the U.S. Open. I wasn’t nervous or scared about any particular shots. I felt really good about them.

“I think doing that at Memorial and the U.S. Open, it just really freed me up and I’ve just been playing really committed golf, making some really free swings, which is where I love to be.”