WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. – It was late March and even though Denny McCarthy had not yet made a cut in his rookie year on the PGA Tour, the former University of Virginia golfer felt like he was playing well.
Then the Corales Puntacana Resort Club Championship in the Dominican Republic came along. McCarthy carded two sub-70s rounds to open the tournament and finished fourth, not only making his first cut but making his first substantial payday ($144,000) in the process. He’s been solid ever since, missing only one cut and earning almost $400,000 heading into this weekend’s Military Tribute at The Greenbrier.
After opening up Thursday with a 3-under 67 on the Old White course, McCarthy got it to -5 through his front nine Friday before finishing the day even par, and minus-3 to make the cut.
Another former UVa star, Tour veteran Steve Marino, finished -5, so both Wahoos will be hanging around for the weekend, trailing leader Kelly Kraft, who is at -13.
“The tournament in the Dominican really gave me a boost,” McCarthy said Friday after finishing the second round at The Greenbrier. “I play well in windy conditions and we faced adverse and windy conditions down there. I got creative with it and freed myself up.
“That told me that I can play out here,” McCarthy said. “I already knew it but hadn’t shown it yet. That got me on somewhat of a roll. My game has been really good. I haven’t had many results that show I’m playing really well, but I am. I have to just keep plugging along.”
One of McCarthy’s strengths has been his putter. He and Web.com player Ben Kohles, former UVa teammates, worked hard on their putting games over the winter and it has definitely made a difference for McCarthy, who credited that part of his game for helping him earn his PGA Tour card.
He currently ranks 26th on Tour in putting.
“Statistically, my putting has been good all year,” said the 26-year-old from Rockville, Md. “If I keep giving myself looks, there’s going to be a week when it really gets hot. Week to week, it has really been good.”
McCarthy’s -3 round came Thursday morning, which was a distinct difference than Friday afternoon after a large field had romped over the Old White’s undulating greens.
The former Wahoo felt he actually played better Friday than Thursday but the score didn’t show it.
“I played well today,” McCarthy said. “I hit almost every fairway and almost every green. It’s a bunched leaderboard, so I’m looking to get after it this weekend.”
While he has never played the Old White before, the storied course where Sam Snead built part of his PGA legend, McCarthy believes that the key for him on this course is to hit fairways. If he continues to keep that accuracy, it allows him to attack the greens.
“That’s how you give yourself the best chances out here,” McCarthy said. “If you get out of position our here, then you have to hit a really good shot and be really smart about what you’re doing to get yourself back in a good position. They put a lot of tough pins out here on Tour, so even when you’re in the fairway, it’s still hard to get the ball close unless you either have a wedge in your hands or you’re inside 100 yards.”
McCarthy has quickly learned what he suspected, that life on the PGA Tour is tough.
“Nobody is really ever that far off out here,” he said. “Everyone is so good. But this is where I want to be, playing the best of the best. It’s such a fine line. One shot here or there is a huge difference.
“I’m -3 and I’m on the cutline (with about 75 other players),” McCarthy said. “It’s hard to make a cut. You have to be playing some pretty damned good golf just to make a cut.”
Statistically, players who shoot around par usually don’t make the cut on the Tour.
“I have to stay patient and positive,” he said. “I know if I do that, I will be alright. Those are the keys for me.”
One of the things that Virginia fans have noticed is all the former Wahoos playing professionally either on the PGA or Web.com Tours, or both. And, there are more on the way.
“It’s a testament to the program and what [coach] Bowen Sargent has done at Virginia,” McCarthy said. “UVa golf has come a long way since he’s been there. We’ve got Derek Bard and Jimmy Stanger coming up, and Thomas Walsh coming along in another year.
“Virginia is building a great golf program and it’s only going to get better with the facility that’s being built there,” McCarthy said. “We all root for each other no matter what tour we’re on. It’s a close knit group and we all want
each other to succeed out here, so we’re all always trying to picked eachother up and do the best we can.”
TOMORROW: Veteran Steve Marino is trying to regain his old form after bouncing back from injuries.