The Official 'Double P' Blog

Pat Perez was hanging tough early in the opening round of the Byron Nelson Championship. After opening with three straight pars, Perez bogeyed #4, birdied #5 and netted five straight pars as was E before another birdie on #11.

Perez held at -1 until the wind started howling during the final few holes of his round. The result was three bogeys and a double for Double. -1 quickly became +4 and Perez now has his work cut out for him on Friday. The projected cut is currently +2 so a second round 67 or 68 needs to be in the cards if PP wants to see the weekend in Irving.

Tune in at 12pm CT Friday and follow Pat's scorecard all day by clicking here.

Check out the footage on PGATour.com when Fred Albers interviewed Pat Perez on XM Radio and going -8 for 64 in his Sunday round at the Shell Houston Open. Click here to watch the video and read the transcript below:

Fred Albers: Pat, you didn't leave much meat on the bone out there today, although you say it could've been lower?

PP: Yeah, I hit in the water on six and made bogey there. I had a stretch of 11, 12... I missed from about six feet. I missed a ten-footer on 11. I rolled it right over the edge for eagle on 13... 15, I had fifteen feet.

It was a good day. I made my fair share. I made a couple long ones... but you always say, "what if?"

Fred Albers: I'm gonna say -8 qualifies as a very good day. Was there any indication this round was coming?

PP: Not any chance whatsoever...

Fred Albers: That's golf. You never know when it's gonna bite you or when it's gonna pat you on the back.

PP: I've been hitting the ball great the last two weeks. I just haven't been able to get the ball in the hole. I was leading in greens last week and finished 12th... this week I hit a lot of greens and I'm just not getting the ball in the hole. I said today, I'm just gonna roll it.

Once you see a couple go in, you start to actually believe you can make one (finally) so that's what kind of happened to me. It kind of snowballed today and I know I was hitting it well, so...

There's some tough pins out there but you can make a 25 or 30 footer out here like nothing because the greens are so good...

Fred Albers: I thought all week the course lends itself to a quick start 1, 2, 3, 4 and that's exactly how you started today - with four birdies

PP: It was nice to get off to that kind of start. Five's a good hole, six is kinda tough, seven's tough... It's a good course. It'll reward your good shots and if you can putt you can shoot nothing out there.

Fred Albers: Probably not enough to get you into Augusta next week, but probably gives you some good feelings with an off week.

PP: Yeah, I'm gonna take two weeks off. I needed to finish about third last week to get into Augusta. as I'm 60 in the world now. Yeah, I'm disappointed but that's my favorite one to watch so we'll have some fun.

Fred Albers: You're having a good year and can still have a great year. Have a good week.

PP: Thanks.

After posting 69-73-72 in the first three rounds of the Shell Houston Open, Pat Perez is off to a 'blistering' start on Sunday. Perez opened with four straight birdies and then a par-bogey-par stretch before birdies on his next three holes.

A front round 31 set up what could be an exciting back nine. Follow PP's scorecard the rest of today to see how low the kid can go. Seven strokes off the lead with seven to play doesn't have Perez on the fast track for his inaugural victory, but a top five finish could be in the cards after what looks like a stellar Sunday.

Stay tuned.

Pat Perez is in Humble, TX this week coming off a T12th finish at last week's Zurich Classic in New Orleans. A top five finish was needed to crack the Top 50 in the World Golf Rankings, so The Masters appears to be out of reach for Perez... unless he can notch his first Tour victory this week at the Shell.

PGATour.com's T.J. Auclair seems to think this is the week Perez gets it done - again, picking him as his sleeper of the week. Auclair writes:

"I just love watching this guy play. He's gotten much better about playing with his emotions on his sleeve, but he's intense. Intensity, to me, equals someone who cares. I'm not saying Perez cares more about winning than his fellow competitors. What I am saying is that he's just too good not to have won yet. After a tie for 12th at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, he's clearly swinging it well. Don't be surprised if he sneaks up on the field in Houston."

Preach on, T.J.

Redstone G.C. is one of the longer courses on Tour and a hell of a warm up for next week's event in Augusta. It's a bombers course and one spot remains in the Masters' field if this week's winner isn't already in the field. The incentive is there for somebody and a 'W' is there for the taking.

Could this be the week? Tune in tomorrow when PP tees it up at 1:30pm local time.